Star Wars Kotor III The Exile's Redemption
by Dream-forger
Summary: Set straight after Kotor II darkside ending. The Exile's victory of Kriea is short lived when the unexpected return of a certain Prodigal Knight changes his ambitions towards a difficult redemption. violence warning. On Hiatus for the foreseeable future
1. Chapter 1

_A:N Two things _

_One:Again I know this has been done before but this was eating away at me so I wrote it. Currently this will be just a one shot for the time being. Depending on reviews it may become a full story later on._

_Two: I know a female light-side Exile is Star Wars canon but I liked the idea of the Exile/handmaiden pairing._

_Anywho I hope you enjoy and I'd like thoughts. Thank you._

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Star Wars Kotor III

The Exile's Redemption.

_So the old woman is broken once again._ The Exile, Kazel or Darth Iratus as he called himself stood over the wounded and half dead form of Darth Traya his former master. She stubbornly clung to life, trying to heave herself to her feet, the wounds he dealt onto her with his double-bladed viridian lightsaber. Her only remaining arm was gone and a deep gash was visible on her stomach. The Exile closed his unique violet eyes allowing the energies of the Trayus Core to fuel the ravenous dark energies within him. His eyes snapped open and instead of violet they were now a sickly yellow colour.

His reconnection to the force was what started his lust for greater power. At first he had tried to do what was right, but slowly he changed, becoming twisted, sadistic and merciless. The more he killed, the more powerful he became, he thrived on death, he fed on death.

He was singularly one of, if not the most powerful entity alive today. Nothing could stop him, no one could stand against him such was he strength. Not even the so-called Dark Lords of the Sith could stand against him. The separate Lords of Pain, Hunger and Betrayal had all fallen to his hand.

Sion, Lord of Pain, supposedly immortal. While he relished in every wound he inflicted on that corpse of a human being, he could not defeat him physically. So instead Iratus broke his will, and caused his strength to wane and then allowed him to die. So ended Darth Sion.

Nihilus, Lord of Hunger, able to feed on entire planets using the dark-side. Though for all his strength, his hunger led to his death. Trying to feed on the Exile weakened him, and Visas breaking the link she had with him made him easier to kill. The Exile gladly took the Mask of the Sith as a trophy while the body was destroyed by the darkness.

And finally there was Traya, Lady of Betrayal. Master of manipulations, able to keep her identity secret from even him. He had to respect her for that at least. But what use was manipulation if she could not complete her plans. All of her schemes came to a screaming halt when The Exile fought her. It was not a battle; it was a nothing more than a mere distraction. In truth he toyed with her, allowed her to think she could win before finally destroying her as only he could.

The Jedi also were gone apart from his followers of course. Vrook he killed on Dantooine, using the Shien form he ripped from his mind to rid the galaxy of the old fool. Zez-Kai El he felled on Nar Shadaa using Ataru, the form he gladly took as his own as took of Kai El's head. And lastly there was Kavar on Onderon. Kavar had put up more of a fight, being the greatest duellist amongst the council but his own Juyo form led to his demise. Iratus stole the form and killed Kavar before allowing Vaklu control of the planet leaving Talia imprisoned.

And now he had come full circle. Kriea struggled to her feet, and Iratus seized her by the throat. She struggled vainly against him as he lifted her effortlessly from the ground with one hand.

"You have failed my 'master'" he drawled arrogantly "The Force and Malachor will remain and I live on…you old fool," Kriea growled defiantly.

"I see now…it was mistake to train you as I did…I have not saved the galaxy from the Force's will as I intended. I have doomed it do forever to be a slave to it" Kriea coughed up some blood and it fell onto her former apprentices cheek. "You are my greatest failure…" The exile made a noise of disgust as his sick yellow eyes flicked to the blood on his face.

"You may say what you wish old woman…but I assure you, I am who I am because of you" The Exile carried Kriea over the edge of the Trayus core and held her over it. Kriea struggled vainly and then a smirk appeared on her face.

"You think this will be a victory? You little fool!" she spat "If you kill me…I will become more powerful than you can possibly imagine…" Kriea's old features suddenly became marred with sadness. "You were once beautiful to me Exile… but now I see only a shell of what you once were…" Iratus cackled with insane laughter as he continued to hold the fallen sith in his hand as she dangled over the edge.

"Your words mean nothing to me!" he snapped suddenly "Your reign is at an end. No-one will save you, no-one will remember you and no-one will care that you are gone," The Exile's evil grin returned. "I was amused by your little games but I have run out of patience. Your time is over…you are nothing more than refuse…" His malicious grin widened. "Goodbye." His hand opened releasing the former Sith and Jedi from his grasp.

Kriea's scream echoed around the core as she plummeted towards the core of Malachor V. The Exile watched with a sadistic pleasure as she was engulfed by the hungry energies of the core. A fierce green surge of energy erupted from the depths of Malachor and it surged up and around the dark-shadow as he continued to stand on the edge of the core, his black robes billowing around him, and his natural white hair blowing as the energy passed him. The only indication of his corruption was his sulphuric eyes that brimmed with hatred, malice and wrath.

"Let the core of this planet be your grave…" he sneered. "And now I am the Master". He laughed, a great and terrible laugh that beat along the current of Malachor.

All of his followers, Atton, Visas, Bao-Dur Mira and Brianna could sense the terrible laugh through the force as he had trained them to do so. Atton, Visas, the Zabrak and former bounty hunter hung their heads. Brianna felt tears fall from her eyes as she sensed the evil in her beloved. Despite all of his evil deeds from Nar Shadaa, she loved him. She had seen his soul beneath the armour, the light within him.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and saw Atton standing behind her looking upset. She nodded and sniffed hoping to hold back the tears. Then the assassin droid Hk-47 saw his sensors give an alert and his assassination protocols took control.

"Statement: Life-form detected heading towards the Exiles location. Confirming identity." The party turned to the droid as he stood his photoreceptors glowing red.

"What is it?" Bao-Dur asked. The droid seemed to leer at him.

"Answer: Not what but who meatbag." HK continued to scan the life form and then his receptors glowed "Gleeful Statement: I see. So it seems the master is going to that academy after all" The party looked confused and bewildered at the droids words. Only Mandalore seemed to know what the droid was on about.

"I though Kazel was your master" Mira stated incredulously.

"Clarification: I meant to say my original Master not my temporary Master" Mira frowned.

"Original Master?" Visas repeated slowly.

"Answer: Indeed. My original Master" The droid replied. Mandalore grinned underneath his mask as he worked out whom the droid was referring to.

"The droid means the person who created him" the others looked at him as he spoke. "There was only one other he has called Master in the recent years and I have a good idea who it is".

The crew remained baffled at the knowledge Mandalore held from them as he left the main hold for the garage section of the ship leaving them to their thoughts.

The Exile sat meditating in the Trayus core allowing the Dark Side to flow through him. His time had begun, now with Kriea, Sion and Nihilus along with the Jedi gone nothing in the world could stop him now.

"_Have you realised your folly yet Exile?"_ his violet eyes snapped open. No it couldn't be. How was she still alive? She had been destroyed in the core.

"Kriea?! How..?" he heard her laugh in his mind.

_"Oh I am dead…you made certain of that. But I thought I should just prepare you for your next battle. My greatest student has arrived on Malachor, my former padawan. I would prepare myself if I were you for he is close."_ He felt Kriea's presence retreat into the force as she spoke. He suddenly felt an enormous force signature inside the core. It rivalled his own.

_Impossible. No one is this powerful. No one can ever be my equal!_ He was brought out of his thoughts as a figure appeared out of one of the various tunnels leading to the core.

The figure was dressed in black-armoured robes, the hood of which shrouded his features from view. He was around five feet eleven inches tall, and was muscular and athletic in build. Underneath the hood burned two cyan coloured eyes and spiky black hair that covered his head. He was around 29 years old about 3 years younger than the Exile. The man slowly approached the form of Iratus. The Exile summoning his lightsaber to his hand as the interloper came to a stop in front of him.

"Who are you?" Iratus demanded. The figure gave no reply and simply gazed at the Exile for a few seconds. "Answer me!" The Exile spat his rage beginning to grow.

"Who am I?" the man replied his voice slightly deep but overly so. "Well…I guess you could say I'm the best chance you've got at making up for your actions" The Exile laughed at the man's words.

"And just what makes you think I want to repent?" he replied.

"A simple question to which I ask another: why wouldn't you?" the Exile's smirked turned to a frown.

"Who are you?" he asked noticeably softer than before. He got the distinct impression he knew the man but couldn't place his finger on it. The dark-angel in front of him chuckled slightly and his hood fluttered slightly to reveal his face. The Exile's face turned into an enraged snarl. He knew the man, very well. He was the one who saved the galaxy from the Sith. He was the man who started and ended the Jedi Civil War. He was the one the Jedi called "The Prodigal Knight"

"You of all people would want to redeem me?!" Iratus shouted, his voice almost a howl within the Trayus Core. "Your arrogance is unbelievable Revan!" Revan smiled softly taking a couple of steps forward into the Trayus Core and the two began to circle each other.

"Why is that so surprising?" Revan countered "I was the Dark Lord of the Sith and I was redeemed. You can be too…" The Exile snorted.

"You think I want to be? You have interfered with my affairs for the last time" The Exile held it his hand towards a large rock to his right, and hurled it at Revan using the Force.

Revan caught it with his own force and shoved it away. "If I remember correctly this is the first time…" Iratus did not reply and simply gripped a second much larger rock and hurled it towards Revan. Once again the former Sith stopped the large object and sent it plummeting to the core.

Iratus raised an eyebrow and used the force on one of the pillars of the core. He brought his hands down and it toppled over, looking to crush Revan beneath it. The man's hands shot up to catch the tremendous weight of the pillar as it fell. It hovered above him and he hurled it at the Exile who rolled away to avoid it as it crashed into another pillar.

Iratus whirled his gaze back to Revan who was standing quite calmly observing the older man's movements. "I'll admit, you are powerful Kazel…" The Exile snarled at the use of his real name. "But the Dark Side is deceiving, it limits you in what you can achieve" Kazel's eyes turned golden and he held out his hand.

"Look at me Revan. I have a greater command of the force than any Jedi…even you"

A vicious barrage of force lightning erupted from his fingers and it crackled towards Revan. In an unseen move Revan caught the lightning in his hand and sent it right back at the Exile who blocked it sending it away into a pillar. The Exile turned back to Revan and force lightning crackled once again. Revan this _time_ simply swatted it away with his hand and Iratus lowered his hand. They were pretty much even in terms of power. Or were they? It was not to clear whether either were holding back or giving their all.

"You see?" Revan inquired calmly. "You still have so much more to accomplish and yet you've learned very little…" The dark-Exile growled and he reached for his belt.

"It is quite clear that this contest will not be decided by our knowledge of the Force…" a venomous double _snap-hiss_ echoed as the two viridian blades slid out of their hilt. "But by our skills with a lightsaber"

Iratus spun his dual-blades in the air and a settled in his combat stance. Revan's eyes narrowed and he reached behind his back where his lightsabers lay in X shape on his waist. Taking one of the hilts in an unorthodox reverse grip in his hand, a silvery-cyan blade slowly _hissed_ to life out of the hilt, the blade known as the Mantle of the Force. The Exile felt Revan's power increase quite a bit as his lightsaber activated but would not back down.

Iratus leapt forward and Revan charged. Cyan met viridian in a dazzling display of skill and power. Iratus was on the attack while Revan held his ground, deflecting the dark-siders blows with his shining blade. The two became locked in a brutal duel, neither able to gain the advantage as they struggled for supremacy. Revan guided his blade through the air to defend against his opponents assault, in a masterful display of Djem So, Form V of lightsaber combat. The Exile was unleashing Form VII Juyo using wide energetic strokes to try and tear through Revans defences

The battle became nothing more than a couple of bright stars in the force. One Dark and corrupted, the other light and powerful, but there was more to this than met the eye. Revan wasn't a Jedi, but nor was he a Sith. He was so much more. He was superior to both for one simple yet vital reason: he had achieved balance.

Revan ducked under a sweep at his head, and then moved his blade in an up-down horizontal movement to block three strikes from Kazel. The Exile snarled and spun aiming for Revan's back. Revan's blade was there to catch it, angled vertically down his back; Revan quickly brought his blade in front of his chest in order to block the follow up blow. Revan shoved the Exile back and brought his blade down in a punishing blow. The Exile caught the blade and kicked Revan in the chest.

Stunned Revan stumbled back. Seizing his chance the Exile leapt over him, spinning in mid-air and his blade's sought to claim Revan's head. The sound of a snarling lightsaber coming to life echoed as a bronze blade intercepted the Exile's silvery green blade. Revan's second lightsaber, the Heart of the Guardian, had leapt from his belt and into his left hand, and was angled in a reverse grip up his back and was holding Kazel's saber at bay. The dark-angel scoffed and hurled the self-proclaimed Sith back. The Exile flipped and landed on his feet.

Revan turned slowly his lightsabers growling in the air as he stared at the Exile through neutral eyes. The Exile's frustrated rage began to get the better of him as he roared with fury.

"Stop toying with me!" he thundered some rocks shattering under the pressure of his force-amplified voice. Revan spun both lightsabers in his hands taking a natural Jar'kai stance.

"Not as a fun is it? When you're the one being played around" Revan answered. The Exile took a calming breath.

"Revan before you get too confident you need to understand that the Dark Side is incredibly powerful here. You cannot defeat me here! You can't!" Revan laughed slightly. He had heard words like that before.

"Bastila said the exact same thing to me…on the Star Forge. And I'm still alive…" Kazel cackled.

"Yes all because your love for her saved you…yes, yes I heard all about that Revan. The once great and all powerful Revan humbled by an arrogant and naïve padawan." Revan stiffened noticeably even under his armoured robes. Out of all the people Kazel could have insulted it had to be Bastila.

"You would never understand Exile…" Revan retorted. "You care for no-one but yourself. And yet she still loves you." Kazel's leer was replaced by a look of confusion.

"Who do you mean?" Revan shook his head.

"After all you have done…all the suffering you caused, she still loves you. Strange is it not? The affect love has on a person," Revan pondered silently. "Bastila tried to kill me and I still love her. The daughter of Yusanis still loves you despite your evil, and somewhere deep inside that shell of yours, you love her." Kazel became still. Brianna loved him? He never knew he probably didn't care enough to realise it. He thought for a second before his pride got the better of him.

"Compassion, mercy and love. I need not these things. I am above such trivial attachments". Revan shook his head sadly, the Exile had finally broken his shell, and this was a final desperate attempt to keep him from redemption by the darkness. "Revan love is your weakness and you need to realise that! When you die by my hand I will show your corpse to her and allow her to break under despair." Revan finally had all he could stand.

"You idiotic scum" Kazel's eyes widened as lightning coursed around Revan's body. "Love itself will save you…not condemn you. It saved me and it can save you too." Revan looked up and his eyes were golden as he allowed the dark and light inside him to blend together. "But I see words will not reach you now. I will show what true power is!" Revan charged and the Exile immediate took the defensive.

Revan rained heavy force empowered blows on the Exile who was hard pressed to keep up with the pace Revan set. Revan was utilising quick and punishing blows to wear down his opponents defence's as he pushed him back. Kazel powered Revan's blade away and aimed a desperate strike at Revan's side looking to bisect him.

Revan jumped over the attack and brought both his sabers down on the Exile's blades. Landing on his feet he pushed the saber first down and the shoved it up and out of Kazel's grasp. Revan's foot slammed into the Exile's chest. The Exile stumbled and toppled over the edge barely catching himself on the rock desperately trying to keep himself from dropping into the core below him.

Kazel looked down at the depths of the planet that had consumed Kriea. Revan was right he was limited in his power. Now he would join Kriea in Malachor all because of his foolishness and arrogance. His thoughts travelled to Brianna and he realised that perhaps what he thought was a weakness was in fact strength. He resigned himself to the fact he would probably never know now, as his grip finally gave away.

For a spit-second he felt weightless in the air, almost as though the force was trying to prevent him from falling but then gravity came back into existence as he began to plummet. But suddenly a hand seized his forearm stopping his descent, allowing him to escape his doom

Kazel looked up and to his shock he saw Revan holding his arm fighting to keep him from falling. Kazel could not help but wander why Revan was saving him. After all this, he did not deserve mercy, what he deserved was a fate worse than death. Revan growled and heaved Kazel up with one hand pulling him up onto the platform once again and laid him on top of the rock. Kazel lay catching his breath, while Revan stood up and summoned Kazel's lightsaber to him and began to walk way, his own lightsabers back on his waist in an X shape.

"Revan" He stopped and turned to see Kazel on one knee staring at him in disbelief. "Why did you save me?" Revan smiled softly.

"Because everyone deserves a second chance, even you." Revan smile grew and he looked at the lightsaber hilt in his hand. Opening it, he took Kazel's personal crystal from its place and threw it to him. The crystal had turned into a light silvery crystal, with a small amount of white emanating from it. "Keep the crystal, but if you want this lightsaber back you'll have to come find me"

"Revan…where're you going?"

"Back to continue the battle with the Sith for the time being" Revan answered turning his back to the Exile.

"Then why…?"

"Because I wanted to stop you from making the biggest mistake of your life. I'm giving you a second chance. It's up to you whether or not to redeem yourself." And with that Revan walked, taking Kazel's double-bladed lightsaber with him.

For a long stretch of time, Kazel sat in the Trayus Core in both confusion and guilt. Kazel's shell was broken; the true self had emerged once again. The darkness slowly seeped out of his soul replaced by the light. Revan's actions of mercy and compassion had helped redeem him. Ultimately it was the revelation of love that Brianna held for him that helped him turn back. Kazel took a deep breath and stood up, looking around the core for a few moments. Then the shimmering blue figure of Kriea appeared before him. She looked exactly had she had done when he first met her, the only difference being the blue glow around her.

For a long moment they simply looked at each and then the Exile spoke. "Forgive me… Kriea" the deceased woman smiled a motherly smile.

"You need only forgive yourself, Exile. I have already forgiven you" Kazel smiled sadly in return. "Now go…make use of Revan's second chance." Kazel nodded and left the core, Kriea watching him leave. "I will continue to watch over you Exile. I will be there if you should need my council" with that Kriea's ghost vanished from the core as the Exile began his path to redemption.

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_I understand the fight was rather one-sided but when I realised it I would have had to start over and I didn't want to have to rewrite the whole thing so sorry about that._

_Iratus is not a made up word just so you know. It's latin for wrath and it's the best I could do for a Sith name._

_Anywho like I said one-shot for the time being depending on whether or not you guys think I should continue it as a story._

_Your thoughts please. Good or bad? Critical views are welcome but don't be too harsh please. Thank you._


	2. Chapter 2

_A:N Well since I'm really stuck on my other story at the mo, and since most of you guys seemed intent on me writing a second chapter I have done. Do give me your thoughts, but nothing to harsh please_

_Enjoy._

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Chapter 2

Kazel's companions were standing together in the cargo hold as they felt the force searching for his presence. There was nothing there that meant something had happened, something bad. If they could not feel him then there was only one explanation. Suddenly Brianna gasped, taking a sharp intake of air, clutching her chest. She dropped to her knees as she struggled for breath. The others were all around her in seconds, Mira next to Brianna her hand on her shoulder.

"Are you all right? What's wrong?" the bounty hunter asked as Brianna regained her breath. The white-haired young woman looked at the bounty hunter with a strange and slightly distressed gaze.

"I just felt him. Stronger then I've ever felt him before. But something was different, his aura it has changed." The others frowned and looked at each before turning their gaze back to the handmaiden.

"Changed how?" Atton asked.

"I don't know. It is just different from before." She replied as the planet suddenly shuddered violently. The party staggered as the ship began violently shake underneath them.

"Uh. That's not good is it?" Bao-Dur muttered off-hand. As he finished speaking, Atton's com-link started beeping. Quickly Atton pressed the receive button.

"Atton, get the ship off the ground." It was Kazel. His voice wasn't its usual cold, calculating drawl but was instead a haunted tone.

"What about you?" Atton asked immediately. The others listened intently as the Exile replied.

"Pick me up outside the Trayus academy. Bao-Dur…" the Zabrak stepped forward.

"Yes General?" he inquired immediately.

"Order your remote to activate the Mass Shadow Generator" The party almost fell over.

"What?" Bao-Dur replied confused. Did he really mean what he'd just said?

"Activate the generator, destroy Malachor V" Bao-Dur nodded.

"Right away General" As the com-link went silent; Atton pelted to the cockpit and flung himself into the pilot seat.

"Alright people, here goes. Strap yourselves in and hold on tight! This is gonna get rough!" The Ebon Hawk rose from the crevasse it was caught in and rocketed towards the Trayus academy.

Around them grey coloured rocks and spiky stones began to crumble and fall apart as the gravity began to increase at an alarming rate. The last time the generator had activated it hadn't quite got the job done. This time however it would finish the job and Malachor would be no more.

The Ebon Hawk swept down towards the entrance of the academy and landed, just as the Exile came leaping through the entrance of the building. He shot towards the ship as pillars began to fall around him. The bridge connecting the academy to the rest of the dread world began to shatter as he ran across it. With a huge effort he propelled himself off of the bridge and into the Ebon Hawk as the ramp began to lift. He crashed into the ship and immediately got to his feet.

"Atton! Get us outta here!" he yelled down the corridor. The ship immediately pulled up and rocketed away from the dying world, avoiding the numerous chunks of rock and debris as it flew into outta space. As the Ebon Hawk shot away from the planet, Malachor separated into two separate halves and floated aimlessly through space, the green electric energy flickering and dying.

Kazel took in a sigh of relief and walked towards the cockpit where Atton was sitting. He walked in and nodded to the scoundrel turned Jedi.

"Good job" Atton's jaw dropped at the compliment, but he nodded. "Set course for Telos Atton." The Jedi frowned.

"Why?" Kazel looked out of the view port.

"I need to speak to someone" Atton nodded.

"Onasi?" he asked.

"No" Atton turned back to him. "Someone else, her…" with that Kazel left the cockpit. Atton felt a look of bafflement mar his face for a second, but then thumbed in the coordinates for Telos and the Ebon Hawk zipped into the blue slipstream of light speed.

For a long time Kazel sat in the barracks formerly occupied by Kriea, his eyes closed as he calmed his nerves for the meeting up ahead. He sat calmly allowing for the first in a long while, the light to fill his being to steady his breathing and heal his mind from the experience he had been through. As he mediated, the door to the dormitory whooshed and his eyes opened as his ever-loyal soldier approached him.

"General?" the voice was timid almost hesitant to talk.

"Yes Bao-Dur?" Kazel answered standing up but keeping his back to the Iridonian.

"Is everything all right? You seem different…" Bao-Dur asked. "Your order was unexpected" Kazel smiled.

"I know…" then his smile vanished and his face became grim. "I can feel them Bao-Dur" the Iridonian looked confused.

"Feel who General?" Kazel turned to look at the technical genius and Bao-Dur saw something he would have never expected to see in the Exile's eyes: guilt and pain. In fact the pain was rolling off of the Exile now, it was like a planet's worth of agony. And to feel it from the Exile was surprising to say the least.

"The people I killed…" Kazel raised his hand to his eyes and stared at it. "I can feel them within me. It's like they're a part of me…like…some small sample of their soul has joined with my own…" he sighed and looked back up at the Jedi Guardian in front of him.

"I've done…unspeakable things…for the sake of a power that was never truly my own…" he turned his gaze back to his hand. "I got that power by killing innocent people, thousands of them. I didn't think twice and now I can't get the look of fear on their faces out of my mind." He laughed a bitter laugh. "Its ironic isn't it? I thought myself the Dread Lord of the Sith and in fact it took a former Dark Lord of the Sith to turn me back to the light" Bao-Dur eyes became wide.

"You mean…Revan?" Kazel nodded.

"Yes. Revan brought me back." He laughed bitterly again. "For all this time I thought I knew what power was and I was defeated by and then saved by Revan. And now I have a second chance" He looked at Bao-Dur. "This burden is mine to bear, I have to take responsibility for my actions…alone" Bao-Dur shook his head.

"You don't have to bear it alone" Kazel frowned.

"What other choice do I have Bao-Dur?" he asked, Bao-Dur raised an eyebrow. "I don't deserve anyone to help me bear it. Not after what I've done" Bao-Dur shook his head again.

"That's not true. We'll help you bear it" Kazel looked at him in shock.

"I'm not worthy of it. I don't deserve to have someone help me carry the weight" Bao-Dur sighed.

"General, whether you are worthy or not. We're going to help you. It's what we're here for. To pick you up if you should stumble" Kazel couldn't find the words to reply.

He didn't deserve this kindness from Bao-Dur or anyone for that matter. And yet it seemed they were ready to forgive him, and stand by him even after everything he had put them through and the crimes he had committed. He simply nodded and Bao-Dur returned it and turned to leave. Then Kazel found his words.

"Bao-Dur…" the Iridonian stopped and turned. "Thank you…" he nodded and exited the dormitory leaving the Exile to his thoughts as the Ebon hawk headed for Telos.

* * *

Carth Onasi, Admiral with the Republic, as well as a former companion and the best friend of Revan. He was standing in the main office of the base caught up in his thoughts and troubles until an ensign entered the office.

"Admiral" Carth turned and nodded. "The Ebon Hawk has just exited hyperspace and we're receiving a hail from them" Carth sighed and nodded.

"All right" Carth followed the ensign to the communications station hoping this wasn't another atrocity about to happen. When he entered the station all within stood to attention, Onasi simply nodded to them and moved to the communications officer.

"Ensign?"

"The Ebon Hawk is hailing us sir." Onasi nodded.

"Put them through" within a few moments, the face of Atton Rand appeared on the view screen. "Atton…" Carth said, "We're a little surprised you're back so soon" Atton smirked.

"Yeah…so are we…anything new we should know about?" Carth shook his head.

"Nothing out of the ordinary. What do you need?"

"Requesting permission to dock. The Exile wants to speak…to her" Carth tensed. He should have realised this would happen he took a deep breath. If the Exile was still as he was before he left, this would get very ugly.

"It will take me time to make the necessary arrangements" Carth answered. "You have permission to dock in hanger bay 3, but you cannot leave the Ebon Hawk until I arrive personally." Atton nodded.

"Yes Admiral" the view screen flickered off and Carth turned to his right.

"Lieutenant?" the addressed woman stood to attention. "Get a single squad ready and keep them outside the hanger bay, tell them to wait until I get there"

"Sir" as she hurried off to form the squad, Carth exited the station and entered the turbo lift. Carth took relaxing breaths as the lift reached its destination. Leaving the lift behind, Carth moved through the private quarters of Citadel Station before reaching the one he was aiming for. Taking a quick breath, the door slid open and Carth stepped inside, he moved through the corridor to the main sitting area and saw the person the Exile wanted to see.

A young woman was standing arms folded looking out of the large window her back to Carth. She had dark brunette hair and it was tied in a single ponytail, different to the two ponytails she usually had them in. she had a lithe athletic build, with just enough muscle and curves to look capable but feminine. She was dressed in form-fitting orange body suit and was an incredibly beautiful young woman. Carth stood his hands clasped behind his back as he addressed her.

"Bastila…" she didn't move but she knew he was there.

"Yes Carth?"

"The Exile. He's returned. He requested an audience with you" Bastila sighed and turned her head to look at Carth, through her breath-taking blue-grey eyes.

"I see…" she turned to look back out the window as if in thought. "Very well…allow him to see me" Carth swallowed.

"I'll leave a couple of my men with you… incase…"

"No Carth…I'll meet him alone" Carth gaped at her, as Bastila remained quite calm looking out over the station.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes…" Carth nodded.

"All right, he'll most likely bring his companions with him."

"I know…it is no matter" Carth nodded.

"I'll place some security outside just to be…" Bastila looked at him with a cold yet somewhat playful look.

"Carth. What did I just say?" Carth sighed.

"I'm sorry. With Revan gone…I don't feel as secure as I would usually" Bastila nodded knowingly.

"I know…don't worry I am not defenceless especially in times like these" She felt a tear fall from her eye as she gazed out into space. "He's still alive Carth. I know he is. I can still feel him" Carth smiled.

"I hope you're right."

"I _know _I'm right" Bastila replied with a smile. Carth nodded and left the room leaving Bastila alone.

The former Jedi ran her hand down her neck feeling the pendant Revan had given her when he had left. He'd left unexpectedly and suddenly without telling anyone apart from her, Canderous and Carth. She had begged him to take her with him but he refused telling her this was something he needed to do alone. She ran her thumb over her finger feeling the small golden band along it, a small sign of her complete and utter devotion to Revan. She smiled and sent a message over the force hoping he could hear her.

_Revan wherever you are. I'm still waiting for you. I love you_.

Kazel descended the ramp seeing an entire squad of soldiers waiting for him headed by Carth Onasi. Kazel signalled for his companions not to draw their weapons. He approached Onasi and stood opposite him. For a moment they simply stared at each other.

"Admiral"

"Exile" Kazel's companions stood behind him waiting for the tension to recede slightly. "She's waiting for you. Follow me." Carth turned and began to walk away. Kazel fell into step behind him, the squad surrounding him and his companions falling in behind them. In the minutes that followed the tension escalated to new levels as they journeyed from the hanger bay towards the private quarters.

Soon they were standing in front of her quarters and Carth stepped to one side. Just as the door opened Carth spoke.

"Let me give you some advice: don't underestimate her. She's far more powerful than she seems." Kazel tilted his head slightly and entered the room followed closely by his companions. As he entered the main room he saw Bastila Shan standing exactly where Carth had left her. Carth had been right, she was powerful, very powerful, and he could feel it pulsating from and around her. Part of him was tempted to try and drain that power, but he shoved it down. Revan had given him this chance for a reason.

"Bastila." She turned to him with a cold look and observed him for a second.

"Kazel." He felt slightly surprised that she knew his name. She remained staring at him her arms folded as they gazed at each other. "What do you want?"

"To talk. We have much to discuss" Bastila raised her eyebrow and felt a bitter smile play on her lips.

"Talk? What exactly do we have to talk about? If I remember correctly you killed all the Jedi council and now you say simply wish to talk?!" Bastila laughed. "Incredible" Kazel felt his guilt spike.

"Yes I do not deny I killed the council, but at the time I was misled, I've realised I was wrong and…" Bastila interrupted him.

"And now you wish to atone…" she smirked. "Yes. I can feel it within you. It squirms in you like a worm. The guilt, the anguish, the self-loathing. Strange, I never thought you were capable of such things." Brianna stepped forward.

"He knows he has done wrong. Isn't that enough?!" Bastila scoffed. Brianna was 24 years of age, four years Bastila's junior and she reminded Bastila of herself when she was her age.

"To know he has done wrong, and to atone for he has done are two different things. You should remember that." Brianna glared at her.

"I see the rumours about you were correct. You are arrogant and over-confident. It is hard to believe you were even a Jedi" Bastila shook her head; she wanted to avoid a scuffle if possible. Brianna was young and fiery much like she had been 4 years ago when Revan had saved her from the dark side.

"Really? It's hard to believe the Exile was ever a Sith considering how easily he was turned back." Bastila stared coldly at the Exile. "After everything that's happened you nearly destroyed the Republic and now you wish to save it?" she shook her head. "You amaze me even now. But that doesn't mean I believe you wish to make up for your crimes" Brianna snarled and moved to step towards the slightly older woman, a rather naïve and careless mistake.

The second her foot had taken a single step, a knife shot past her ear and into the wall behind her. Brianna yelped and hopped back slightly, the party all looking shocked as well. Bastila remained standing in the same position, as before. She hadn't moved then who?

"Don't even think about it…" a slightly deep voice drifted through the air. A man emerged from the shadows behind Bastila and stood beside her and gazed at the assembled party. He was around five feet eleven inches tall and was lean and muscular in build not overly so. He was dressed in completely black, a black trench worn over a leather muscle-shirt and dark trousers. He had dark brown hair and deep green eyes.

"This is Falcan" Bastila remarked looking at him for a second before turning back to the Exile. "A bounty hunter from Coruscant, and currently my bodyguard, courtesy of Revan of course" Kazel felt his jaw drop.

"Falcan? _The _Falcan?" She nodded and Kazel looked at him. Falcan showed no intimidation of the Exile and looked over his companions as well with the same unconcerned look.

"So this is the Exile?" Falcan commented looked him up and down "I always thought he'd be taller…" Bastila laughed shortly.

"All right Falcan." Falcan nodded and folded his arms and Bastila turned her gaze back to Kazel. "I can sense you truly mean what you say, which is surprising after recent events." Kazel looked down for second.

"So are you going to hear me out?" he asked bitterly.

"Very well…" Bastila moved to the seats in the room and sat down in one of them crossing her legs. Kazel remained standing and moved over to the window. "I'll hear you out" Kazel nodded and took a deep breath.

"Well in order to fully explain I'll have to start from the beginning…it started when the Ebon Hawk was taken aboard the Paragus mining station…" for the next fifteen minutes the Exile explained his story, Bastila listening carefully intently, dissecting his story for any lies, any deceptions that he may try to weave into it. She found none, which reassured her of his claims of wanting redemption. The Exile finished his story.

"And I ended up killing both Sion and Kriea on Malachor, I threw Kriea into the core of the planet" Bastila nodded digesting the information but knew he wasn't done.

"And?" Kazel looked up at her from his place in the chair opposite. "You have not finished, there is something else" Kazel looked down again.

"Revan…" Bastila flinched and looked at the Exile with a pleading gaze, something that shocked him.

"Revan?" her voice was soft and he could sense the yearning in her voice. "You saw Revan?" he looked away.

"I fought Revan." What happened next caught everyone apart from Falcan, Mandalore and the two droids completely off guard. Without even sensing it coming, Kazel felt himself hurled back against the wall and held there by the force. Bastila was in front of him in a heartbeat, a look of controlled and protective anger on her face, his companions made to move forward but Kazel held out his hand to stop them.

"What did you do to him?" Bastila hissed as Kazel tried to move but could not, the strength of her hold being too great.

Powerful was one thing but Bastila was another. Kazel could feel the force literally bellowing around her now, like a hurricane. It was like Revan's aura, while not quite in his league, it was similar, almost endless in potential making it difficult for anyone to tell the difference between them. Being bonded to Revan as well as being his lover and student had increased Bastila's power substantially within the past four years, no doubt due to the training Revan had instructed her in when they left the order. Due to the need to be without the order limitations in terms of their relationship, they had abandoned the Jedi about six months after the battle of the Star Forge in order to stay together without the Jedi's watchful gaze constantly over them, constantly limiting them.

"I did not do anything to him." The Exile replied hoping to calm her nerves. Bastila's eyes narrowed. "Even if I had wanted to, there was no way I could have killed him or even come close for that matter" Bastila inclined her head for a second, and suddenly the heavy weight came off of the Exile's body and she stepped back, her face back to its serenely calm mask.

"What happened?" she asked her voice controlled and calm. Kazel caught his breath for a second before continuing.

"We fought in the Trayus Core. Revan defeated me and could've left me to die, as I was hanging from the platform we battled on and I would've have fallen into the planet's core were it not for him saving me. He pulled back up to the platform and took my lightsaber, saying he was giving me second chance and to find him if I wanted my lightsaber back. Then he left." Bastila looked at him with a stern gaze, and he could feel her searching his soul for the truth.

"Did he say where?"

"Just that he was going to continue the battle with the Sith." Bastila nodded.

"I see. He went back to the unknown regions" Kazel nodded.

"I'm going to find him." Bastila's eyes shot to him and he stared right back. "He may need help, I'm taking my companions with me, and I know you'd like see him again." Bastila looked at him, and glanced back at Falcan who was staring intently at the Exile.

"Revan told me, I could not go with him," Bastila argued but the Exile overruled her.

"But he said nothing about following him later. If Revan could win this battle alone he would have done so by now" Bastila turned back to him " Revan is just buying for time. He can't hope to defeat the true Sith alone and he knows it. He needs help, from you and from others. Bastila, the decision is yours, but I am going to help him" Bastila looked at him for a few more seconds.

"He's right Bastila" she turned to her bodyguard "If Revan could win, he would have done so by now" Bastila thought for a few seconds. It was true she wanted to see Revan again, yet alone help him. But he said she could not follow him.

"I need to think about this. Kazel, you are not to leave until I have reached my decision" Kazel nodded and Bastila turned to Falcan. "Falcan take them back to the ship."

"We know the way," Atton stated indignantly. Bastila turned to him.

"But the past experience dictates my actions at the moment" Kazel nodded knowingly.

"It's ok Atton…" Kazel bowed to Bastila. "I'll wait for your answer" she nodded and Falcan stepped forward.

"Follow me" The party turned and followed the bounty hunter out of the room leaving Bastila to her thoughts as she sat down.

Falcan walked beside the Exile towards Hanger Bay 3, Kazel kept a watchful on the bounty hunter, judging his movements. Each of them carried an air of confidence, cunning and precision within them. It was no wonder Revan had chosen Falcan to serve as Bastila's personal bodyguard for the time he was away.

They reached the hanger bay shortly, and the Exile's companions walked on ahead to enter the ship. Kazel stayed behind for a moment as Falcan watched them board the Hawk.

"We'll wait as long as possible for Bastila to make her choice." Kazel stated. Falcan nodded.

"Two guards will be stationed outside the hanger bay. Until Bastila makes her decision, you can't leave the station or the ship" Kazel sighed.

"So we're prisoners then?" Falcan laughed.

"If that's what you want to call it," he replied. "But like Bastila said, past dictates action" Kazel nodded and turned to leave, he walked a couple of steps until Falcan's voice called to him. "Hey…" he looked back at him. "What's your name?" Kazel gazed at him for a few seconds before answering.

"Kazel…" Falcan raised an eyebrow.

"Kazel huh?" he turned and began to walk away. "Not a bad name…" Kazel watched him leave for a few seconds as Falcan moved out of the hanger bay.

"Neither is yours" with that the Exile boarded his ship to await Bastila's decision.

For a long period of time Kazel sat on his bunk, trying to arrange his thoughts struggling with whether or not he should go and see her. Revan's words on the Trayus Core echoed in his mind. Did she really feel that way? He wasn't sure she did, part of him was desperate to know, and the other wasn't.

Deciding that he really didn't have anything to lose he got to his feet and moved to the door. He stopped again, his hesitation getting the better of him. Finally working up the nerve he pressed the button to open the door. But in fact he didn't even have to leave the room.

Brianna was standing in front of him. She look a little shocked that he was standing in the doorway and failed to hide the blush on her face. Both stood in an awkward silence for a few moments trying to come up with the words for the other. Both took the time to admire the other, the looks and the physique so both knew what the other looked like.

To Brianna Kazel was handsome and slightly rugged. Even when the dark-side had him it's grip, he was still highly attractive but it was that dark attractiveness that she wouldn't indulge in. He was well built as well, being slightly more muscular than Revan.

Kazel noted how beautiful Brianna truly was. The short white hair typical to the Echani suited her and her build was like Bastila's very lithe and athletic though she was slightly more athletic giving her a little more capable look, while still retaining her innocent loveliness.

Finally Kazel found his words. "I was just about come see you…but I wasn't sure if you wanted to see me" Brianna looked at him and after a brief moment collapsed into his arms.

Kazel after a brief moments shock wrapped his arms around her and soothed her quietly. Brianna clung to him desperately and snuggled her head into his chest. Brianna pulled back to look into the Exile's eyes, his unique purple eyes. He stared back into her icy blue ones and both finally let go of their inhibitions.

Ever so slowly they found their faces getting closer and closer, until their noses were touching. Brianna's eyes fluttered closed just as their lips connected softly. The kiss was slow and chaste and neither pulled away for a long moment, wanting the moment to last forever.

Then reluctantly Kazel pulled away and Brianna looked up at him for a second. "I'm sorry Brianna, for everything…" She simply smiled softly and embraced him once more taking comfort in his presence.

The couple simply stood enveloped in each other's arms, allowing a small sample of peace to flow between before the difficult times would once again shatter the peace.

* * *

_OK here's chapter 2 for you guys. Your thoughts are much needed and appreciated. Not too harsh though. Thank you. Reviews please!!!_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Night had fallen on Citadel Station; the occupants of the station were all sleeping soundly in their apartments. Most of the crew of the Ebon Hawk were also deep in slumber, now finally able to get a full nights sleep without worrying about Sith Assassins coming on board and ensuring they never wake up.

Falcan was leaning against the wall outside Bastila's quarters. While his pledge slept inside, Falcan remained outside in a light slumber, arms folded and one leg braced against the wall. He remained in this position most nights, unmoving and not making a sound, his senses attuned to the silence to make sure nothing got by him.

As he leant against the wall, his ears seemed to twitch slightly and a smile formed on his face before he spoke. "Walking around in the middle of the night is a good way to get yourself killed"

A silver-clad man approached from his right. He clad in completely silver Mandalorian battle armour, from head to toe. His face was completely hidden by the mask of Mandalore, which had struck fear into the hearts of the Republic about ten years before. This armour of Mandalore concealed Canderous Ordo, leader of the Mandalorians and a companion and friend of Revan.

"How fairs the ice queen?" he asked in his gruff tone, though his voice was changed into a rasp almost by the voice box of the helmet he was wearing. Falcan opened his eyes and turned them to Canderous without moving the rest of his body.

"Actually worried about her well-being? Not like you Canderous…" he replied his eyes now resting on the wall in front of him. Canderous smirked underneath his mask.

"I've never seen eye to eye with Bastila, but I do have respect for her"

"Because she is Revan's mate? Or is it her immense prowess in battle that you respect?" Canderous chuckled at Falcan's comment.

"It's a bit of both I think" he replies. "Anybody who can get a former Dark Lord of the Sith to fall for them is worthy of such respect" Falcan snorted.

"Good point" Falcan replied.

"Do you think she's made her decision?" Canderous inquired.

"She never had to make one" Canderous frowned and leaned against the wall opposite him as Falcan spoke. "It wasn't never a question of whether she would go to find him, it was more a question of whether she can trust the Exile" Falcan stated. Canderous nodded.

"What do you think?" the mandalorian asked.

"What do I think?" Falcan repeated. "Well I dunno. If the Exile truly wants redemption then he's going the right way about it. But he needs to earn our trust." Falcan sighed. "Onderon, Dantooine, Nar Shadaa and Korriban, all these worlds he visited and he had an affect on each, Onderon is now ruled by Vaklu and Azkul is in charge of Dantooine" Falcan thought for a moment. "Those worlds need to be reformed but only after Revan returns. Finding Revan will prove the Exile worthy of her trust" Mandalore raised his head for a second to observe the bounty hunter and then scoffed.

"Fair enough. Anyway why are you playing bodyguard?" Falcan looked at him.

"A simple question to which I ask another: why did you become leader of the Mandalorians?"

"Because Revan ordered it of me," Canderous answered immediately.

"Exactly. My answer is the same" Falcan replied. "But he _requested_ it, before he left. And Revan is a friend, and I never turn down a request from a friend. So yes, I am Bastila's bodyguard because I promised Revan that I would be" Canderous nodded and cracked his neck before starting to leave.

"I'll see you tomorrow. No doubt Bastila will be done making up her mind by then." Falcan's eyes followed him and he remained in the same position he had been in even after Mandalore left.

"Hmph. Mandalorians" he remarked as his eyes slid shut again and once again he fell into a slight slumber.

When morning fell over the Station, Kazel awoke from his slumber and found a strange enticing and comforting warmth next to him. Looking down he saw the form of Brianna next to him. He became distressed for a split-second and then to his relief found they were still in their robes. He carefully manoeuvred out of the bunk and slipped silently out the dormitory. He walked into the main hold of the ship and stretched, his spine cracking slightly as he popped the stiff joints. As he finished, he looked up and to his shock found Falcan on one of the consoles in the hold.

"How did you get on board?" Falcan smirked.

"Used the entrance ramp" Kazel rolled his eyes.

"Any reason you snuck onboard?" he inquired.

"Bastila's made her decision, she's waiting for you in the TSF base" Kazel raised an eyebrow.

"That was quick…" he commented.

"This is Bastila. Anyway you coming or not?" Falcan replied.

"Lead the way" Falcan nodded and walked out of the main hold and Kazel followed. After a few minutes of sitting on the transport shuttle heading for the entertainment module of the station and winding through the various paths leading to the base, the two entered the building finding Bastila and Carth in conversation. As they approached Bastila turned to the Exile looking at him quietly as he neared her.

"I wanted you to know I have made my decision" Kazel nodded and waited for her to continue. "I will accompany you to find Revan, but just keep in mind you still have much to prove" Kazel nodded again.

"I understand, so do you wish to leave now?" Bastila nodded and turned back to Carth. Kazel turned away to wait outside while the two exchanged their goodbyes.

"Keep the Republic strong Carth" Bastila said Carth smiled.

"I will, Revan told me to do so as well. Don't worry I'll keep things under control" Bastila smiled and they embraced in a friendly manner when they separated they clasped hands "Good luck" Bastila nodded and exited the base, Falcan made to follow but Carth stopped him.

"Falcan…" he turned to gaze at the Admiral "Keep her safe" Falcan simply inclined his head in a single nod and followed the female Jedi out of the base. Kazel was leaning against the wall outside; when they arrived he nodded and took lead back to the Ebon Hawk. The trip back to the Ebon Hawk was as uneventful as the trip there. Kazel led the two onboard the ship and Bastila took a moment to remind herself of the Ebon Hawk.

"Is everything all right?" Falcan asked Bastila nodded.

"Yes I'm fine. It has been awhile since I last set foot in the Hawk" Falcan smiled.

"I'll assume you'll want your old quarters?" he asked, Kazel frowned and turned to them.

"Old quarters?" he repeated Falcan nodded.

"Bastila used to sleep in the portside dormitory, she shared it with Revan" Kazel nodded and thought for a moment.

"I see…well I'll make sure it's yours then as we travel. I'll sleep in the cargo hold" Bastila actually smiled thankfully. She obviously wanted to hold onto the memory the dormitory held within it.

"Thank you" Kazel nodded before a question popped into his head.

"Any idea where to start looking?" he asked Bastila shook her head.

"I don't know. Perhaps T3 may know something." She answered. Kazel frowned and folded his arms.

"T3?" Bastila nodded as Falcan moved to garage section of the ship.

"Yes. He travelled with Revan and I four years ago. Drake took him with him when he left for the unknown regions"

"Drake?" Bastila looked at him, for a second and then realised she had used Revan's programmed identity name.

"Sorry. Revan was briefly known as Drake after he was captured by the Jedi and they wiped his mind." Kazel snorted in disgust.

"So they took away his identity, in theory murdering him. Sometimes the Jedi are no better than the Sith" Bastila looked at him carefully as they made their way to the engine room where T3-M4 was working.

"True I suppose. But I think your dislike for the Order is more personal than that" Kazel turned to look at her with a measured calm and she saw the hidden depths of the pain he felt in his heart.

"Yes. I thought they would help me, after I returned from Malachor. I lost my connection to the force there, and I hoped they would heal me. Instead they had me cast out, exiled and left to wander broken and without hope. To lose connection to the Force… is like losing all your senses, all feeling. You no longer feel the ebb of life, those subtle vibrations in the air, you feel incomplete, like half of you is missing…" Kazel finished and saw Bastila looking at him, with an unreadable gaze.

"So you are correct, I hated them for not helping, from leaving me without this feeling I have today. That was the key…to my fall" Bastila nodded. "But let's leave that for another time" They approached T3 who turned and chirped towards them in his friendly greeting.

To say T3 was stubborn was an understatement to say the least. He refused to give the locations of planets Revan had visited to the Exile, due to the Exile being a dangerous criminal. Kazel could not say he blamed T3, he _had_ been a dangerous threat and in truth it was right from him not to be trusted. T3 was extremely loyal to Revan, wanting to keep his secret safe; it was only when Bastila had asked him to give the locations Revan had visited to her, that he finally agreed. With a final beep and chirp, T3 opened up a small compartment to reveal a holo-disc, Bastila took it out and looked it over.

"You can use the central computer in the main hold" Kazel commented. "Bao-Dur modified it so it can show information of the holo-disc" Bastila nodded.

About half-hour later the crew was gathered in front of the display as Bastila typed in the keys to display the holo-disc. Brianna looked over at Kazel who was leaning against the wall watching the display; he looked back at her and smiled, which she returned. Falcan was standing in the shadows, keeping a wary eye on Atton, well not just Atton but everyone on the ship while having his eye on Atton in particular. He had noticed the somewhat lustful gaze Atton held on the women in the ship, Bastila included. While usually Falcan would have left that alone, his pledge to Revan had heightened his protective instincts of Bastila and had led him to keep Atton's actions in check.

Bastila finally finished breaking the code to the holo-disc as T3 had not given them that and the display flickered to reveal a number of different planets, most of which she did not know. "Just how many planets did you go to Revan?" she asked herself. Kazel groaned.

"Well that makes it simple…" he muttered as he walked forward to look at the display, he folded his arms as he paced in front of the display. "So we have search about twenty planets to find Revan…this'll be long trip".

"The question is: which one do we go to first?" Atton asked looking at the display with a bored looking gaze. Bao-Dur was also gazing at the display with a sense of wonder, probably admiring his own handy work at the modifications he made, or perhaps simply in awe of the number of planets being displayed it wasn't truly clear.

"T3…is there anyway you can narrow the search down?" Mira asked the droid. He beeped and whistled indignantly but Bastila looked at him.

"Please T3…" T3 stood still for a moment and then gave his version of a sigh, which came out as long whir. He approached the display and tinkered with it for a second before the display seemed to zoom in a single planet.

It was a jungle planet that much they could tell. Most of it seemed covered in lush green forests, with the occasional pocket of blue ocean. They stood observing it for a while as T3 beeped something and Kazel nodded.

"He says this is the last planet Revan visited before sending him back to the Republic. So it's as a good a place to start as any" Bastila nodded.

"I agree, we'll have to go there first" With that Bastila exited the main hold for her dormitory as Atton left for the cockpit. Visas and Bao-Dur left for their separate sections of ship as Falcan joined Bao-Dur in the garage section of the Ship. This left Kazel and Brianna; they gazed at each for a few seconds, before Brianna looked down sheepishly.

"Kazel I…" he approached her quietly and she lost her words. He smiled and lifted her chin with his hands.

"Want to spar?" he asked. She smiled and nodded and they retreated to the cargo hold to train as the Ebon Hawk rose and exited the Telos station hanger bay and then after reaching a minimal distance from Citadel zipped into hyperspace.

As the ship continued to glide through the blue slipstream, Kazel and Brianna sat in the cargo hold, after their training. Brianna was leaning on the Exile's shoulder as his arm was wrapped around her waist. She snuggled into his shoulder and sighed contently as he leant back against the wall. She could sense how troubled he was and looked up at him as he stared at the ceiling deep in thought.

"What's bothering you?" she inquired. He turned to look at her for a second.

"I'm not sure of my path at the moment" he answered. "I held the galaxy by the throat for a brief second, and now I'm trying to protect it. I'm still becoming used to it…" he gazed at her. He sighed and stood up leaving her sitting on the floor and he walked to the center of the room and kept his back to her as he thought.

"Brianna…" he turned back to her, she stood and slowly approached him as he gazed at her. "After all I've done…being what I am and who I am…does it matter to you? Is this what you really want?" she placed her finger to his lips to silence him.

"Remember what I said to you…after that final sparring session?" he nodded. "You mean more to me than anything I have ever known…I want to be beside you…I want to be able to be with you…wherever you go…" her hand curved to cup his cheek. "I love you Kazel…"

Kazel stared at her for a moment before pressing his lips to hers in a passionate kiss. Her arms draped around his neck to deepen the kiss as they sunk to floor but did not proceed any further, allowing their feelings for each other to be known through the kiss. As they continued to kiss, the bond they shared continued to deepen without them releasing it, the force singing around them.

Half an hour later the Ebon Hawk dropped out of hyperspace to see the lush jungle planet. From orbit it seemed almost like Kashyyyk except for one-difference. Almost all of the ships occupants could sense the immensely powerful dark side aura around the planet. Bastila looked at the jungles with a troubled expression while the Ebon Hawk approached the surface.

"It's a Sith world" she stated as the ship plunged into the jungle depths and found a small clearing to land in. "The Dark side is very powerful here" Kazel nodded as he felt its weight on his shoulders. Despite his redemption it was still a very appealing thing, the dark side. Power and decisiveness, it offered these things, but would eventually corrupt many who gave in as he had once done. The ship bumped slightly as it landed and slowly the entrance ramp lowered as the entire crew save the droids came down it.

Bastila looked around for a few seconds. She could not sense Revan's presence in the thick vegetation but she could feel his mark in the force here. He had been here, recently as well, something, or someone must have forced him to leave early. Kazel came up and stood next to her and gazed round at the thick trees and the evil looking plants.

"I'm not sure what it is about this place but something has got the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end" he muttered and he finished his observations before turning back to Bastila. "This would go faster if we split up…" she nodded and looked at Falcan. He inclined his head as Kazel turned to the others.

"Ok we're going search separate routes and try to locate any trace of Revan…Brianna you'll come with me" she nodded "Visas go with Bao-Dur, Mira go with Atton and Mandalore…" Falcan and Bastila had already begun to move of through the forest straight ahead of them. "Meet back here in three hours if you don't find anything…" with affirmatives from all parties they set off on different routes. Kazel pushed branches out of his way, Brianna just behind him moving through the underbrush of the forests. While normally such natural beauty would want them to stop and admire it, they kept moving, as the trees around them groaned and the plants bellowed in the winds.

Whatever had made these forests had created them like a maze. All the parties had hard times getting their bearings as they moved cautiously through the growth, carefully keeping their eyes and ears peeled for any sign of movement. Falcan and Bastila skulked quickly and efficiently down their path, Falcan kept checking the ground for any sign of tracks or evidence that anything besides them was on this planet. Elsewhere Mira was doing the same, Atton's constant muttering began to really annoy both her and Mandalore as every now then he would say "I've got a very bad feeling about this" as they carefully stepped over and ducked any obstacles in their path. Visas and Bao-Dur along with Kazel and Brianna while not being able to check for tracks were able to make more progress as they crept up their chosen ways.

Brianna moved in front as Kazel paused checking his right as he thought he heard something from there. She looked over the edge of a small hill and peered down to see absolutely nothing other than extra tree's and vegetation. She sighed and turned back to Kazel. "Finding Revan here would be like finding a scrap of food in a room full of hutts," he laughed as he walked up to her.

"Yeah maybe you're right but nonetheless we need-" as he neared her the ground underneath them gave way. With surprised yelps from the both of them, the two plummet down into the branches beneath them. The sound of snapping and cracking wood echoed around the forest. After a few more moments they crashed through the final collection of branches and with a thump they hit the ground. Both lay still for a few moments the only sound being the leaves fluttering to the ground.

After those moments passed Kazel groaned and sat up but instantly regretted it, as his body was objecting fiercely. Using the force to ease the pain, he shook his head and looked over at Brianna. "Are you alright?" she also seemed to groan and heaved herself onto all fours. She coughed a bit before looking back at him.

"I am alright. I think…" she replied as she moved up to her knees, rubbing the back of her neck. "What about you?" he shifted himself to one knee and smirked.

"I've been better…" he got to his feet and walked over to help her up. As he pulled her to her feet, he looked around realising they'd landed in a completely new part of the forest. He sighed in frustration and then something caught his eye. It was like a silvery twinkle coming from a little ways off. He frowned and jogged over to it, jumping over a few roots before finding two very familiar objects.

Two lightsabers were lying on the ground; both were extremely well crafted, looking almost regal in appearance. They had small runes on each side, something he could not read as he picked them up and looked them over carefully. He could feel their owners force presence all over them. He sighed.

"Revan…" he muttered, Brianna came over and saw the lightsabers in his hand. "These are his lightsabers" she looked away and then inclined her gaze up. Her jaw dropped slightly.

"Kazel…" he turned his gaze to her and then followed her line of sight. Before them stood a star-fighter, it was small like a Sith interceptor except red in colour and had some obviously very complex modifications. Brianna and Kazel approached it and the cockpit opened automatically.

"Brianna contact the others…tell them we've got something they'll wanna see" As Brianna did so; Kazel clambered into the cockpit and began trying to access the console.

Bastila and Falcan were first on the scene naturally, followed shortly by Visas and Bao-Dur than the remaining three. While Mira and Mandalore checked the surroundings, Falcan and Bao-Dur observed the ship while Kazel continued to unsuccessfully try and get the ship on line. Falcan banged his hand against the hull with approval.

"This is Revan's fighter alright…" he said as Bao-Dur finished his inspection of the fighter. "It's got his handiwork all over it." he turned and looked it over for a few seconds. "It hasn't been here long…otherwise the forest would have had its way with it." Atton scoffed.

"This hunk of junk is Revan's fighter?" he remarked. Falcan looked at him coldly.

"Watch your mouth kid…this is probably the most advanced fighter you'll ever see…" Atton looked at him.

"Revan must have built it from scratch" Bao-Dur commented as he walked over. "I haven't seen half of the technology he must have used to build this…it's incredible" As they spoke Kazel growled as the console didn't activate again.

"Ah bugger. This blasted thing" as he spoke he slammed his fist into it. Bastila climbed up onto the ship and moved to the cockpit.

"Here let me try" he nodded and got out of the cockpit. And then something either extremely coincidently or rather unnerving or perhaps even both happened. The second Bastila sat in the cockpit; the ship came to life its console beeping and then blinking into existence.

"What'd you do?" Kazel asked. Bastila shook her head.

"I don't know" she got out the cockpit and clambered down as a small hatch opened on the front of it. A holocron was inside it and almost immediately it activated. The blue shimmering form of Revan appeared before them and seemed to smile as it gazed at the collected party.

_Well it seems you finally decided to follow me. I knew you would eventually, princess. _Bastila smiled at the nickname she'd received from Revan when they were together. _If you're watching this then the possibility of the Sith finding my ship is equally as high. After I told all I have to say, there is an extra compartment at the back of ship. It contains information that you will need when confronting the Sith. _The image of the former Jedi looked around carefully as if listening for some invisible threat before continuing. _The worlds I have visited are all under the Siths rule; some are simple jungle planets such as this. Others on the other hand have civilisations filled with ordinary people. While most of them have no love for the Sith, there are those that worship them…like gods. _The party gathered around listening intently to what Revan was saying, as the forest around them seemed eerily silent, almost as if it too had an interest in his words. The tree's seemed to lean in as if they were hoping to catch whatever he had to say.

_These Sith are not a cult, or a group of power hungry zealots. No they are far worse. They are species of force sensitives, all devoted to the dark side, they make the dark Jedi were fought on the Star Forge look like children. They are all very dangerous. The information I have for you is on the second holocron in my ship. _The hologram seemed to look up for a second. _Before I tell you where I…_ the hologram stopped looking worried.

The entire party's eyes went wide as blaster bolts shot past the hologram as it drew its lightsaber and leapt followed by four figures before the hologram flickered and died. Bastila immediately moved to the back of the ship and found the extra compartment. Inside was the second holocron he had talked about along with a lightsaber. She pocketed the holocron and took the double-bladed saber and threw to the Exile. He caught it and realised it was his.

"Come quickly. We must get out of here before the Sith show up" with that the entire crew hurried from the clearing back towards the Ebon Hawk.

Elsewhere on another planet, a bruised form of man was laying a cell. He groaned as he sat up, realising he didn't have a shirt on as he looked around. His vision was blurry and he couldn't move properly as he tried to get to his feet. The door to his cell opened and a man walked in, looking with disappointment at the man's form.

"So this is the great Darth Revan?" he drawled Revan struggled to his feet. "A pathetic excuse of Jedi truly…" Revan didn't answer. "Don't try to walk to much, the drugs in your system prevent you from accessing your energy stores properly, only enough for you to eat and drink. Also that collar should suppress any affinity to the Force you may have." Revan groaned again and fell to his knees much to the man's amusement.

Out of nowhere, the man's foot shot into Revan's face sending him sprawling to the floor. "To think you could defeat the Sith by yourself, what an absurd dream." He bent over the broken form of Revan.

"Now you will remain here until they come and when they do…you will break… and when you break…you …will…die"

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_Ok chapter 3 is up. Next update may be slow while I plan out next chapter._

_Anywho your reviews please...!!!_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

_Sorry about the slow update. School was piled on in the recent two weeks._

_Just a small warning, I've changing the style of the writing slightly. Let me know if it works._

_Enjoy!_

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Chapter 4

Falcan looked out over the lush green meadows of the old Jedi sanctuary of Dantooine. He wondered why the Exile had brought them here, but came up with nothing. As he stood feeling the fresh morning breeze on his face, he remembered how the Exile had immediately left for Khoonda and then a few minutes after, blaster fire had sounded followed by a deathly silence. Falcan knew that Azkul, a former Sith had, with the Exile's help, gained control of Khoonda, but was now probably dead.

Falcan stood with his arms folded, as Bastila came beside him. She also looked out over the fields, a sense of pained sadness on her lovely face. "Everything all right?" he asked.

Bastila looked up at him and sighed. "I'm not sure. I know that Kazel claims to desire redemption, but again he shows just how violent he can be. He single-handily slaughtered Azkul and his mercenaries this morning." Bastila looked down. "I'm not sure I can truly believe he wants to be redeemed" Falcan nodded and turned his gaze over to the old Jedi academy.

"What does your heart tell you?"

Bastila thought for a moment. Revan had asked that same question many times and even now she found herself struggling to answer it. "Well…my heart tells me to believe in him and I did not sense any of the violent pleasure I have done in the past when he committed such acts." Bastila laughed bitterly. "But maybe my heart simply says that only so I get the chance to see Revan again" Bastila sighed shakily and once again thumbed the pendant around her neck.

Falcan smiled. "We all would like to see him again" he pointed out.

Bastila smiled back and she turned to him. "Falcan…you're a Deralian like Revan, you've known him since childhood and you know him almost as well as I do…"

"Almost" being the key word in that sentence" Falcan interrupted.

Bastila continued. "I have been trying to come up with reasons why Revan would leave alone but I cannot find any." She gazed at him pleadingly. "Do you have any idea why he would go without aid?"

Falcan took a deep breath. "I do not know Revan as well people like to think. The answer is no I don't know why he would go alone" Bastila looked down and Falcan put a hand on her shoulder. "If I had to guess: I'd say it was to protect the person he loves most." She raised her head as he spoke. "You" she sniffed, keeping back her tears.

"I miss him so much…" she whispered.

Falcan smiled understandingly. "I know…" she met his eyes with her own. "Let's just hope the Exile finishes what he wants to do here and then we can get back to finding him."

Kazel knelt inside the old Jedi enclave, his eyes closed as he focused his energy. The light swirled around him as he remained perfectly still, trying to rid himself of the darkness in his heart. He knew there could not have been any other way to deal with Azkul but he remembered feeling the thrill of taking human life when he killed the mercenary. Maybe he was not as far from the darkness he thought he had left behind, as he hoped he was. While he meditated, four of his five disciples entered the enclave and made their way to him. Mira: the former bounty hunter, Atton: former Assassin, Bao-Dur: technical genius and Visas: former Sith. They gathered behind him in a line while his eyes opened and a smile formed on his face.

"I'm sure you are wondering why I called you here…" he stated as he stood up.

Visas stepped forward. "Yes, surely we should be focusing on finding Revan." She answered while Kazel kept his back to them.

"Finding Revan is key at the moment, that is true" Kazel admitted. "But I've realised I should have done something before I got ready to search for Revan" he turned to them; he guided his gaze over each one individually.

"Kriea has been speaking to me…"

Atton immediately interrupted, "Kriea's dead, isn't she? The old witch hasn't learned how to cheat death right?"

Kazel smiled. "Oh yes…I made sure of that" he replied bitterly. "But in the process she became one with the Force and has been speaking to me in my dreams." The four looked at each other as he spoke. "She has told me that finding Revan is but one of the tasks I must undertake. The other is to rebuild the Republic I almost destroyed." He allowed the statement to sink in while he turned to walk towards one of the trees in the chamber. "I realise I cannot be in two places at once, so I've come to a decision…" he turned back to them and they held their breath.

"While I search for Revan, you four shall remain here and help rebuild the Republic" they all looked shocked and even hurt by this.

"What!?" Mira exclaimed stepping forward. "Why are we staying? Can't we help at all with this?"

Kazel shook his head. "By staying here you are helping me." She stopped looking confused.

"If they are able to get past me and Revan, then this is the second front"

Mira shook her head. "Don't say that! We can help you more if we're with you" Kazel sighed, he knew one of them would not go down without a fight, but in truth he expected it to be Visas.

"Mira…listen to me" Mira calmed down and looked at him painfully. "Dantooine has been cleansed of the mercenaries but the rest of the planets we visited need to be saved as well" Kazel smiled calmly. "You four are the ones who can do this"

Bao-Dur stepped forward along with Atton. "Then General tell me what to do…" the Iridonian Jedi Guardian said.

"Yeah." Atton added on. "As much as I hate to admit it, I can see you won't have it any other way" Kazel smiled and looked at Mira who sighed angrily.

"Fine. But you're still my bounty…which means I can cash you in at anytime" Kazel laughed and turned to Visas who nodded but looked upset all the same.

"Very well then. First you must head to Onderon: Talia was imprisoned by Vaklu, not executed like he claimed." The four nodded as he spoke. "First, free Talia and then ally yourselves with the Mandalorians once again. Then oust Vaklu from his dictatorship" they all nodded. "Go to Telos after that, and aid with the running of Citadel and keep Czerka in check" Once again they gave their affirmatives. But, Visas had one last question.

"What of the Handmaiden?" she asked somewhat coldly. Kazel tensed, it was true he had not mentioned Brianna but he had hoped that none of them would notice. "What is she going to do?" Visas gazed at him expectantly.

"Brianna will travel with me, along with Mandalore and the droids". He answered; he felt Visas's hurt through the force and regretted answering. "The reason being she and I have a bond that gives us both strength. We cannot be forced apart for long."

Atton scoffed, "Is that just an excuse or is it the truth?" he demanded.

"The truth" Kazel replied in a tight tone, which immediately told Atton to back off which he did so.

Bao-Dur stepped forward again. "General." Bao-Dur held out his hand and his trademark peace-loving smile was on his face. "It was an honour" Kazel smiled and took his hand, shaking it.

"No the honour was mine old friend" Bao-Dur smiled and stepped back.

Mira approached and silent tears fell from her eyes. "Hey…hey what's this?" Kazel said laughing. "Has the great Mira all of sudden grown attached to an old man?" Mira laughed and pulled him to a hug.

"I'll miss you," she whispered. "Thanks for everything you've shown me" she stepped back. "Come back soon".

Atton approached and clasped the Exile on the shoulder. "I knew you were bad news from the first time we met," he stated in his usual cocky manner. "But you've shown me a great deal and forgiven more than you should've done" Atton patted his shoulder. "And for the record: I forgive you too: you underwear wearing comedian" Kazel chuckled as Atton finished. With that the three exited the enclave, leaving Visas and Kazel.

Visas fidgeted a little before finally approaching. "I…I'm not really sure what to say" she muttered. Kazel smiled and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"What do you want to say Visas?" he asked gently. Visas looked at him through the veil she wore and smiled.

"I know your heart belongs to the Handmaiden but…" she leant up and kissed him on the lips. Kazel froze for a second and then Visas pulled back. "I love you…more than anything" Kazel licked his lips for a second.

"I'm sorry I can't return how you feel Visas…" Visas shook her head.

"Do not be. As long as you will let me love you…that's all I need" Kazel nodded and Visas smiled before she too left the enclave. Kazel sighed already feeling the hole their leaving had made. Kazel took a deep breath and exited the enclave.

Bastila looked up seeing the Exile approach. She felt a small amount of pain inside him as he neared her and she frowned. "Is something wrong?" Kazel shook his head and the two began to board the Ebon Hawk.

"I never really knew how much I valued them until just now" Kazel replied "With them gone…it's almost like a part of me is missing" Bastila nodded.

"Well…you and I have something in common it seems" he nodded regretfully. "But Brianna is still here with us…cherish her Kazel…love only truly happens once" Bastila turned and entered the main hold. Kazel noted it was the first time she had truly addressed him with his name and followed her.

Upon entering he saw T3 tinkering with the main hologram and looked at Mandalore. "What's he doing?" Mandalore didn't turn to look at him.

"Preparing the holodisc Revan left us for show…Whatever it is, Revan really wanted it to be kept secret from someone" as he finished speaking T3 chirped happily and the screen flickered and began to show the contents of the holodisc.

At first it was the same information T3 had shown them, the various planets Revan had visited, but then it changed to something else. The gathered party looked at the hologram in what could only be described as horror filled curiosity.

The image in front of them must have been one of the True Sith. It was tall and muscular standing around 6 feet 8 and was incredibly well built. It had dark grey skin and looked almost human were it not for the long reptilian like tail, dark red eyes and pointed ears. The party suddenly heard Revan's voice as they gazed at the image.

"_This is one of the True Sith. The harsh environments of the planets they rule has honed and strengthened their bodies incredibly. The reflexes of the Sith are amazing, some I have seen dodging blaster bolts with ease. They are five times as strong as any normal human being; I have had the fair share of beatings at the hands of them"._ The party listened intently as Revan continued to describe the True Sith.

"_They are very cunning and deadly, they have nearly caught me numerous times and have almost killed me a more than one occasion. One thing in particular you must be wary of is the needle like stinger that emerges from their wrists"._ As Revan spoke a close up of the underside of the wrist is shown. As it focused on the wrist, a thin long needle emerged from the wrist of the Sith.

"_They use this to drain the life force out of others, it's the source of their power, and it increases their physical attributes for a time". _Kazel cringed at the thought of one of them piercing his flesh and shuddered involuntarily.

"_And naturally they are strong in the dark side of the force. Even the weakest of them could take on three above average Jedi on its own, so be careful when facing. The most powerful of them is their chieftain who is known as the Grand Sire. His power far surpasses anything I have ever seen before. Even I am but a mere child compared to his power". _The party exchanged glances. To hear such a thing from Revan, who was quite possibly the most powerful Jedi of his age, was terrifying to say the least.

"_However, should you deprive them of sustenance long enough, they will become weak, allowing you to kill them. But those in their service give their life force willing to their masters at the cost of their own if need be"._ The image changed to a hooded figure dressed in borderline black robes, with a thick wide hood covering their face.

"_Watch out for the Sith worshipers, they are not to be underestimated. While not as deadly as the Sith, their loyalty to them is absolute and they will do their bidding without question or hesitation_. _Do not show mercy to these creatures or their followers, for they will show you none in return". _Revan's voice became soft near the end.

"_To any who are listening to this, be careful in the Unknown Regions. It is a region filled with enemies and allies are hard to find. Those you do find always have a price that needs to paid for their assistance choose your friends wisely. May the Force be with you"._ With that image flickered and died, leaving the party in silence.

"Well that isn't good…" Falcan broke the silence as the party digest the information Revan just shared.

"If these Sith are as powerful as he says why haven't they attacked?" Mandalore said. The party shook their heads.

"Revan's gonna need our help that's for sure" Kazel replied.

"But were do we look?" Bastila answered. "There are many planets in the unknown regions…and the Sith control each one" she looked down somewhat disheartened.

"Is doesn't matter" Kazel replied and they all looked at him. "Revan's been captured, someone will know where he is…this planet might be a good place to start…" he called up a small almost desert planet, save a few spots of green and blue. "A small town is located here and T3 states Revan visited this one not long after arriving in the Unknown Regions…so someone might know something there…"

Brianna looked at him. "But he also said that people have a price for their aid…so we can't trust anyone…" they all nodded and Kazel looked at Bastila.

"It's your call…" Bastila looked around at all of them, one by one. Falcan: her loyal protector, Mandalore: Revan's soldier and friend, Hk-47 the deadly and shrewd assassin, Brianna: Echani handmaiden, T3-M4: the dedicated companion and finally Kazel: the Exile in search of redemption.

"Very well then…let's go…" they all nodded and moved to their separate locations as they prepared, each in their own way, for the struggle that lies ahead.

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_There's chapter 4 people. Ok then, your reviews please!!_


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

_Kazel looked at the ruined structures around him. Malachor V: the planet had been destroyed had it not? Then how was he here? He turned and saw a figure approaching, no two, three, four? He began to slowly back away as one by one they emerged from the darkness. His eyes widened as he saw the four who had been responsible for the near death of both the Republic and the Jedi._

_Darth Malak, Revan's former best friend and apprentice, his tall, imposing figure a sight to behold as he glared down at the Exile. Nihilus, Lord of Hunger stood on equal grounds with Malak and he folded his arms gazing darkly at the Exile. Sion, Lord of Pain beside the Lord of Hunger, his one eye leering at Kazel with nothing but pure loathing and finally Traya, Lady of Betrayal, who had tried to kill the Force in order to free the Galaxy of its will. All four Sith Lords glared darkly at the Exile who began to slowly back away._

"_Little fool to think he could escape the darkness so easily…" Malak muttered moving to Kazel's left. Nihilus spoke in his peculiar language moving with Malak to stand behind the Exile._

"_Darkness is not something you can escape…" Sion added in his raspy voice as he circled to Kazel's right as the Exile looked round at each Sith. "It is in all of us, it gives us power, cunning and ability far beyond that of anything else…even those who do not embrace it feel its power" Sion smiled evilly as Kazel tried to speak._

_To his horror he found he could not talk, he took hold of his throat not believing he could reply as Traya stared at him through her black eyes._

"_To truly redeem yourself Exile you must accept the darkness in your heart, but…" Traya raised both her hands followed by the other three Dark Lords. "You will not accept the dark is a part of you, despite how long you spent in its thrall…" Lighting crackled and engulfed the Exile._

_Kazel fell to his knees, pain surging through his senses. He gritted his teeth unable to scream, as his mouth opened silently, trying to yell but nothing came. He fell back and writhed on the ground as the combined lightning sent shockwaves through his system. The lightning stopped and he heard Traya's voice._

"_If you cannot defeat the darkness within you, you will never be able to defeat the True Sith…" she blasted him again with force lightning this time by herself._

"_Revan…he realised this before anyone else…knows that sometimes to defeat evil you must use evil" Malak continued where Traya finished "Sometimes the very thing you seek to rid yourself of, is the only thing that can keep you alive…" Again lighting cackled through the air as both Traya and Malak zapped the Exile again._

"_The darkness changes us from what we once were…Nihilus and I are proof of this…" Sion added on and looked at Nihilus who raised one hand and shocked Kazel as if to prove the point. "The darkside is strength even to those who follow the light…" Traya came in again._

"_The thing you hate is sometimes your only salvation, if you do not realise this, you could lose everything you hold dear…" Traya turned round and Kazel saw the body of Brianna lying behind her. Her beautiful face was a lifeless white with her eyes closed, an odd look of peace on her face. Kazel felt tears fall from his eyes and tried to move but Sion blasted him back down._

"_Self-strength controls everything…" Traya's voice echoed as Kazel writhed in agony as Malak, Nihilus and Sion shocked him while Traya spoke before finally stopping. "..And without such strength you cannot protect anything…" She raised her hand and a blood red lightsaber materialised from out of nowhere as she advanced on the Exile. "Yet alone yourself…"_

_Kazel could only watch as the lightsaber began its deadly arc towards its target and he closed his eyes_.

Kazel shot up in his bunk, sweat pouring down his face. His breath came in laboured gulps as the images of the nightmare flashed through his mind. He carefully swung his legs out of bed and sat on the edge. He continued to breathe heavily and buried his head in his hands. He looked around seeing no one else in the dormitory. He stood up and carefully dressed himself into some red Jedi robes securing his lightsaber to his belt as he did so. He sleeked back his white hair and took a deep breath before leaving. As the door opened, to his surprise and somewhat relief, he found Brianna standing there. She smiled softly but he could see she had sensed his turbulent state of mind.

"Are you all right?" she asked softly, he looked quite pale in comparison to his normal colour. "You don't seem well…" Kazel sighed and smiled softly.

"Bad dream…but it'll pass…" she gave him a look and he chuckled "I'm ok I promise…" she gazed at him softly for a few moments.

"Are you sure? Something appears to have frightened you" he looked down and she cupped his cheek. "…You can tell me," she whispered.

"I know… but I'm not sure yet…" he replied and covered her hand with his. "Give me some time…" she sighed looking away before turning her eyes back to him.

"Ok…" she leaned over and pecked him on the lips. When she pulled back, he was smiling again.

"Thank you…" Kazel moved past Brianna and made his way to the main hold where Bastila was sitting. She looked up and nodded to him. "We've arrived at the planet you pointed out yesterday, Falcan's taking us into the settlement now" Kazel nodded but Bastila too noticed his appearance and she frowned. "Is something wrong?" he shook his head.

"Rough night…nothing to worry about…" he moved towards the cargo hold. Bastila gazed after him with a frown. She had seen Revan act like that before, dismiss whatever was troubling him as a rough night. She sighed and sat back down, going back to her thoughts.

* * *

Revan let a strangled cry of pain, as the blade embedded itself in his shoulder. He snarled as the blade was twisted and then yanked out forcefully. He felt a fist thunder into his solar plexus and he slumped in the chains that were holding him. He looked up through the blurriness of his vision to the figure in front of him. His vision was so hazy he could not make out the man but he could tell it was a man by his voice.

"Tell me Revan…what did you hope to gain by coming here all alone?" Revan didn't answer. He received a backhand round the face for his defiance. "Answer me!"

Revan smirked and spat some blood onto the man's face, or what he could make out to be his face through the blur. It wasn't the pain that caused his vision to become so hazy, it was the drug they had injected him with. It was extremely potent, and was affecting his senses, making even the most basic movement a difficult affair.

"Go…to…hell…" Revan managed. The man in front right hooked him around the face and then a left before kicking him in the gut.

"Your journey, not mine" the man replied. "Our masters have not the time for you yet." He turned and walked away for a second. "But when they do you'll wish you had never been born" he turned to look at Revan who sneered.

"If this is the best you can do…" Revan retorted. "I'll be… trying to torture myself by the end of the day" The man laughed and raised his hands.

"We'll see Revan…" Lightning crackled through the air and Revan yelled out in pain as the bolts of electricity cackled up his body while the servant of the Sith watched with amused sadism.

* * *

Kazel watched the ramp lower and immediately shield his gaze from the bright sun light. The settlement in front of them was almost like Achorhead on Tatooine apart from the small fountains and patches of small gardens that littered the area. Every person who they could see was wearing some form of robes, some were wearing robes over farmer's clothes and others wore extremely lavish, expensive looking robes.

"Well, finding Revan here would be like finding a gizka in a room full of cannoks" Kazel muttered, Falcan looked amused by this.

"Easy then?" he replied. Kazel looked at him with a smile.

"No, difficult, because the gizka has usually already been eaten by the cannoks" the party chuckled at Kazel's comment and he turned to Bastila.

"Bastila, what do you want to do?" Bastila looked around and carefully observed the area in front of them. For moment they were silently waiting for her order.

"This will go faster if we split up, so two groups of two." She turned to Mandalore. "I'm sure you won't mind staying on the ship with the droids to make sure it isn't ransacked?" Mandalore chuckled dryly.

"Sure thing…just be quick" the leader of the Mandalorians turned and re-entered the ship, looking kind of glad he didn't have to go with them. His silver armour stuck out like a sore thumb.

"Well that leaves us four" Bastila stated and she turned to the other three. "Falcan you go with Kazel, Brianna and I will go together" Brianna looked ready to argue but a look from Kazel stopped her from doing so.

"All right then" Kazel replied gazing round, seeing that some people were staring at them suspiciously and whispering to their neighbours. "I have a feeling it won't be long until we're not welcome here. Let's see what we can find out and then leave as soon as possible" Bastila nodded and Falcan stepped forward, his two heavy blasters on his waist and he seemed to be adjusting something on his wrist gauntlet.

"Well let's go then," the bounty hunter said looking at the central road ahead of them. "We'll go this way" Bastila nodded and watched as the two men exited after a brief exchange between Brianna and Kazel. Brianna watched Kazel leave with a worried gaze and Bastila smiled.

"He'll be fine Brianna" Brianna turned to look at her with a disgusted gaze.

"Like you care" she replied and she walked past the elder woman heading up a market street. Bastila sighed and followed. She wanted to avoid any form of conflict with Brianna and knew where to start.

"I apologize for how I referred to him before" she said as the two walked through the street careful to avoid the numerous people walking around them. "But you must understand, I didn't know what he wanted or what side he was on" Brianna huffed.

"He wanted redemption and he is on the side of good. Couldn't you see that?" She demanded.

"At the time, no…" Bastila admitted. "And I'll admit that I'm still unsure of his agenda but from what I have seen, I may have been wrong about him" Brianna looked at her while they walked, both coming into a less crowded street. Some of the people looked curiously at the two as the passed them by and whispered excitedly to each other.

"You actually admit you were wrong?" Brianna stated mockingly. "I didn't think you could see beyond yourself…" Bastila looked down while they were walking and decided to come clean fully with Brianna.

"I've been wrong about many things…" Bastila replied painfully, remembering in particular one thing she had made a mistake with. "Revan was one of those things…" Brianna stopped and turned to see the pain in Bastila's eyes. They were standing next to a fountain and the two were standing while the breeze blew past them and passers by went about their business.

"Revan?" Brianna asked the spite in her voice had completely vanished. Bastila sighed and sat down in front of the fountain.

"When I first began to travel with Revan, I saw him as still being the monster he had been as a Sith. I'm sure you've heard the stories of how he has driven people insane, levelled planets like they were nothing and nearly destroyed the Republic. But to see the very man responsible for those things alive in front of you, you think 'why is he still alive?'" Brianna moved to sit down next to Bastila and looked at her. Bastila looked round at the water cascading beautiful down the statue and smiled bitterly.

Brianna answered understandingly" I don't blame you for thinking that, Revan was capable of such things" Bastila shook his head.

"Not now, at least not those things" Bastila replied. She gazed at Brianna and her grey-blue eyes were filled with something Brianna did not recognise. "I remember how I use to hate him so much. I wanted to him punished for his crimes. Sometimes I wanted to do it myself. I was often rude and critical towards him. He just took it; he never snapped back, he never retaliated. He would simply smile and then say "yes princess" Bastila laughed as she remembered when he first called her that and how angry it made her.

"However things began to change…" Brianna frowned at her words and tilted her head slightly as Bastila sighed.

"Change how?" Bastila looked up at her and saw a somewhat happy expression on her face.

"I began to fall in love with him" Bastila answered simply. "I didn't realise it at first but Falcan on Manaan once said he had never seen anyone more in love than I was" Bastila smiled with a breathless laugh. "When I realised I loved him, I was terrified because it went against everything I had ever been taught and because of that I fell to the dark side thanks to Malak." Bastila felt something fall from her eye and whipped it away quickly, but it wasn't unnoticed by the Handmaiden. "Revan, being the hero that he is, saved me and I couldn't deny how I felt any longer. We left the Jedi soon after defeating Malak and then he left for the unknown regions" Bastila lowered her head sadly. "And with him gone, there is something missing from my life, from me. All I know is that I need him back" Brianna looked at her with a strange newfound respect.

"So that's why you agreed to come with Kazel?" Bastila nodded.

"He is the only one who can help me find him. If Kazel can help me find Revan, then I believe Kazel means what he says." Bastila turned as she stood up. Brianna stood and placed a hand on Shan's shoulder.

"I am sorry…I was out of line" Bastila shook her head with another smile.

"You are right to be angry with me, but now do you see why I would view Kazel like that?" Bastila asked. Brianna nodded. "Very well, now that we've cleared that up, let's get moving." Brianna inclined her head and the two women moved away from the fountain deeper into town.

Kazel and Falcan paused on their route and gazed around the street. There were no speeders, just endless crowds of people bustling about. But Kazel could sense something in the air he did not like.

"What is it?" Falcan inquired. Kazel shook his head, with a troubled look.

"I don't know. But the air is tense and I can sense a lot of fear emanating from the people here" Falcan raised an eyebrow and looked around at the crowds.

"Whatever it is, we need to keep moving. The sooner we find Revan, the better" Kazel nodded and they set off once again.

As they walked through what had to be the rich sector of the town, judging by the lavish looking houses and the finely dressed citizens, Kazel felt a thought strike him. He gazed at Falcan for a second and found he wanted to know just what Falcan knew about Revan.

"Falcan?" The bounty looked at him while they walked. "How do you know Revan?" Falcan felt a smile form on his face and he laughed slightly.

"How do I know Revan?" he repeated. "Now that is a story…a long one as well" he smirked slightly as Kazel nodded. "You sure you wanna know?"

"I have time…" The Exile replied. Falcan gave a half bow while they walked.

"Very well then, where to start?" Falcan mused for a second as they wandered the streets, keeping an eye out for anything interesting. "Well Revan and I go back a long way, and by that I mean we grew up together" Kazel looked shocked and Falcan laughed once more.

"He doesn't remember much of course thanks to the Jedi. But in some ways that's a good thing" Kazel looked confused as they moved into an alley wanting to avoid the continuous glances they received from the people.

"Why's that?" he entreated. Falcan stopped and looked at him for a second.

"Because Revan's childhood was never a happy one. And neither was mine" Falcan moved his right sleeve up and for the first time, Kazel saw the tattoo on his arm. Thick black pigment lines travelled over his skin to form this tattoo. On his shoulder, the lines were shaped into a large black-flame like image, and at the bottom of the flame it changed into two thick black lines that separated down his inner and outer arm, one running over the elbow to join the other and merge into one black colour that ran around his wrist.

"What is that?" Kazel asked, though he had already guessed.

"The mark of a slave, Revan has the exact same one, on the exact same arm," Falcan returned bitterly. "Out of the two us, he had it worse. He lost his parents when he was six, I saw it with my own eyes."

"What happened?" Kazel inquired. Falcan had a guarded look on his face when he looked at the Exile.

"You don't wanna know." Kazel took his word for it. "However it was the look in Revan's eyes when his parents were killed that sticks with me the most" Falcan frowned as his voice became haunted. "To see…such a huge amount of killing intent… in the eyes of a child. It's not something you forget" Kazel could only take his word for it once again, as they remained hidden from view of the street.

"What happened after?"

"Kriea arrived and took Revan away" Falcan answered. "But to lose your parents at such a young age, it leaves wounds you can't imagine. Revan has always-wanted back the parents who were taking from him. It's part of what drives him: he doesn't want anyone else to go through what he went through" Kazel nodded with a strange feeling of sympathy for Revan.

For a moment they simply stood in silence as the wind whistled through the alleyway. Neither spoke and for a small moment forgot their mission to find Revan. Kazel's head suddenly snapped up and his eyes were wide. He felt something dark and terrible in the street behind him. Falcan noticed and tilted his head towards the Exile.

"What is it? Sense something?" Kazel nodded and both moved to the entrance of the narrow corridor and peaked round the corner to see the people gathered in a crowd at one end of the street. Turning their gaze to follow the eyes of the crowd. Both men froze at what they saw, fear pulsing through their veins.

A small entourage of twelve individuals was coming down the street towards the crowd. Eleven of them were dressed in long hooded robes and walked with their heads down. They all seemed human or a least normal. On their belts they carried what looked like vibroswords, with black hilts and golden blades. But it was individual at the back that got the two's attention

It was around six feet eight inches tall and was incredibly built. It had large muscular arms and a powerfully built upper body. Dressed in dark robes, they could barely make out the long reptilian like tail that protruded from its back. The pointed ears, red eyes and grey skin served to confirm what they thought it was. It matched Revan's description perfectly.

"That must be one of the True Sith" Kazel breathed, his voice trembling. "I have never sensed anything near as powerful as this before" The Sith and his followers moved right, past the alley and the two men pressed themselves into the shadows. The Sith stopped and sniffed the air for a second before he moved on towards the crowd. Kazel and Falcan once again peaked out to watch what would happen.

The entourage came to a halt in front of the crowd and the air became thick with tension and fear, The hooded worshipers moved to both sides and the Sith moved through the lines approaching the crowd. The crowd all seemed to tense as they watched the Sith look at them. He bared his teeth, all of which were sharp and pointed, and he paced up and down looking at each person one by one.

Kazel and Falcan could see the fear in the eyes of the people as the eyes of the beast in front of them bored into their souls. For a long and terrible period of time, all they could do was watch and wait as the Sith continued to leer and pace up and down in front of the people.

Then it slowly lifted its hand and pointed at a young man to his left. Its voice low, deep and filled with malice. "This one"

The man's eyes widened with terror as two of the followers seized him and dragged him out in front of the crowd. He was begging silently as the Sith began moving his hand in a strange movement as the crowd watched. Kazel began to move forward but Falcan held him back.

"No" Kazel looked at him "There's nothing we can do for him" Kazel turned his gaze back to the Sith as did Falcan but a few moments after they did so, they wished they had not.

Sith raised his hand and a small needle like sting extended from its wrist. With a loud snarl, it thrust it's hand forward and the stinger embedded in the mans neck. The man screamed out as the stinger began its work and the crowd all seemed to close their eyes and look away, a young woman was crying as she watched the man struggle desperately.

What happened next caused Kazel and Falcan to drop their mouths in horror. The young began to age in front of their eyes. It was not quick by any means, but slowly the man's skin wrinkled, his hair turned white and his body hunched. But after he became old, the process became truly horrifying. His skin slowly began to melt away and his entire body began to liquefy. As it did so, it slowly began to slither out of the man's clothes and into the stinger of the Sith. As the remainder of the man's body slid into the Siths hand, the clothes simply flumped to the floor and remained there.

The Sith seemed to growl in satisfaction and inclined its head to is followers. One of them picked up the clothes of the man and turned to follow the Sith as he left. The crowd of people all stood transfixed to the spot for a few seconds before they also began to move away. The young woman collapsed to her knees, sobbing and an elderly man put his hand on her shoulder.

Falcan felt Kazel move from his position and a few seconds later was greeted with the unpleasant sound of the Exile retching. He kept his eyes on the street and continued to endure the Exile throwing up his insides before turning round to see Kazel straighten up, his face pale.

"I've seen a lot of things in my time, but that was…" Falcan nodded and turned to down the alley leading away from the scene.

"Let's go" Falcan muttered and he and the Exile briskly jogged down the narrow pathway. After a few moments they came to a small opening into the sunlight. They stopped here and the Exile bent over, his hands on his knees, and he took deep breaths obviously fighting back another convulsion.

Falcan handed him a container of water. "Here" Kazel took the water and took a large hasty gulp from the lid. "Slowly, if you don't want to throw your guts up all over again" Kazel took another more restrained gulp and straightened up sealing the container again.

"That was unlike anything I have seen before." Kazel mumbled. "It was like his insides were liquefied"

"Or worse" Falcan replied looking around the area. As they stood trying to regain themselves all they could think about was what they just saw. It was the most terrifying thing they had ever seen. To see a human life taken in such a fashion, it was not something easily forgotten.

As they remained where they were, they heard shouting from nearby. Falcan groaned "Oh now what?" Kazel had already hurried away and Falcan quickly followed. Arriving on the scene, they saw two sith worshippers cornering a man in the alleyway.

"Now fool, you will answer," one was saying.

"Please!" the man was begging. "I have done nothing, I simply wish to get out of your way, honoured ones!" he fell to his knees as they approached him.

"We seem to think you were hiding something from our brothers when they last questioned you, we are here to ensure that is not the case" One coldly approached him.

"Now, who was it that your sister was seen with a few months ago?" Kazel and Falcan looked at each other.

"Please! She was seeing no one of importance! He was a friend that is all!" The man was desperate. The worshipers simply smirked evilly.

"No-one of importance? Like you then" he looked between them.

"Since you have nothing to offer us, we have no more use for you" the man who was speaking drew a knife. The accused backed up against the wall as he advanced.

Kazel snarled. "Not this time!" he rushed forward before Falcan could stop him.

"Wait!" Falcan called after him but Kazel had sprung into action.

Just as the zealot raised the knife to deliver the blow, Kazel had leapt from the position they were in and tackled him to the ground. The zealot struggled violently as Kazel wrestled the knife from him and struck him round the face with his fist before seizing his neck and wrenching it to the side, snapping it.

The second man drew his sword and made to advance on Kazel but a blaster bolt knocked the weapon away. He turned round in time for a second one to catch in between the eyes. Falcan spun and then lowered his blaster as the body dropped and Kazel stood up. Falcan holstered his weapon as Kazel checked on the man.

"Are you all right?" the man looked up at him with terrified eyes and pointed at him with a trembling finger.

"You're an outsider…how did you get here?" Kazel looked at Falcan who shrugged.

"If that's what you call us than yes we are outsides and we came here by starship" the man looked confused by the words as Kazel helped to his feet.

"You are from another galaxy then? Like he was?" Falcan looked at Kazel who returned the gaze and Falcan turned to the man.

"He?" he inquired. The man nodded.

"Yes, he was also an outsider. He saved my sister from the Beasts before they could immortalise her" Falcan frowned.

"Beasts? Immortalise?" he repeated. Kazel looked at him.

"He probably means the Sith and what happened to that man we saw" Kazel pointed out.

"Sith?" the man repeated. "Yes that is the word he used for them as well. He said they were evil and would enslave us if we followed them."

"_He _would be right" Falcan replied. "The Sith are evil and from we just saw they have already enslaved your people" The man nodded.

"Yes, that is what they have done. They promised us a life filled with pleasure, joy and riches but instead took one person a week from our town and they were never seen again. The followers often said that they had been made immortal just like the Beasts. But after the first time they performed an immortalisation in front of us, we realised our mistake" the man finished his tale and Kazel started his questions.

"Tell me, did you get the outsiders name?" the man shook his head quickly.

"No, I only met him once but did not speak to him. My sister however could tell you more. She sheltered him, while he was here." The man replied.

"Where is your sister now?" Falcan asked.

"At home. It will be better if I take you there at nightfall" Kazel and Falcan raised eyebrows and he quickly defended himself. "The Beasts and their followers always tend to come during the day. At night there is less risk of them seeing us" Falcan and Kazel nodded.

"We have companions who will wish to see your sister" Kazel stated.

"Very well. Meet me here right after sunset and I will take you to my sister" with that the man hurried away and Kazel and Falcan were left in the alley.

"Can we trust him?" Kazel asked Falcan gave him a look. "Right, stupid question"

"We'll see. I'm interested in what the sister has to say" Kazel nodded and the two began to walk away. "That isn't good" Falcan muttered off-hand.

"What isn't?" Kazel asked.

"Revan staying with another woman. That won't sit well with Bastila" Kazel smirked.

"Why's that? Surely Revan is faithful" He replied.

"Of course he is. But when it comes to Revan, Bastila is a bit possessive" Falcan replied as they made their back to the Ebon Hawk to meet with Bastila and Brianna.

Kazel made an "ah" movement with his mouth. "Then let's hope she won't do anything stupid…"

* * *

_Ok what do you think? reviews please!!_


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Kazel sat in the cargo hold deep in thought. While he liked the comfort of his bunk for meditation and general resting time, he preferred the cargo hold for periods of solitude. He balanced his chin on his hand as he thought. The door opened and Brianna walked in, she smiled softly and made her way over to sit in front of him.

For a moment they simply gazed at each other before Brianna spoke. "I hear you found a possible lead" Kazel nodded.

"Yes it was a man in the market. Says his sister housed an outsider so to speak. Could have been Revan but we don't know for sure." Brianna nodded as he spoke.

A worried look crossed her face "Do you think he can be trusted?" Kazel sighed and thought for a moment. He looked back to her for a second with a serious glow in his violet eyes.

"Honestly…I don't know" he replied. "Falcan and I saved his life, but even then, we don't know for sure whether he works for the Sith or whether he wants to be free of them" Brianna nodded.

"That is what I was afraid you'd say," she admitted. "I have a question if you don't mind?" Kazel smiled.

"Since when have I ever minded?" he asked. She raised her eyebrow and he chuckled. "Go ahead" She took a deep breath.

"This maybe difficult to answer so forgive me: When you followed Revan, why did you do so?" Kazel thought for a moment.

It was not an easy question to answer. Truthfully his motives had changed slowly as he fought. While at first his motives had been pure, later they became more personal.

"When I first joined Revan the reason simple: I wanted to protect." He replied. Brianna nodded and he continued "I couldn't stand the idea of the Mandalorians killing innocents and destroying worlds." His face became grave and cold at this point. "As time went on my motives for fighting changed" Brianna frowned.

"Changed how?" she entreated him softly. He gazed at her and the look in his eyes was very guarded.

"You need to understand I had watched other Jedi killed in battle, I had seen civilians massacred in their hundreds. I was angry at them, I despised them" Kazel looked down and his voice was very tight and controlled. "I began to hate them more and more with each battle. I killed in cold blood sometimes, though I didn't realise how far I was going" he turned to Brianna with a grave look. "For me Malachor was the breaking point. I didn't know it back then but I do now…. All the lives that were ended that day because of the order I gave: Mandalorian, Jedi and Republic. I had just crossed a line that I could not go back over. Severing myself from the force was a instinctual reaction to cancel out the pain, death and guilt I was feeling at the time." He looked down and Brianna leaned over to cup his cheek.

"And then you returned to the Jedi and was exiled" she finished. He nodded and then thought of something.

"Revan was also another reason I fought" she frowned and he continued. "Revan was younger than those who followed him back then, barely 18 but he had an aura of confidence and certainty. He never went out of his way to make enemies, and was also polite, humble and wise beyond his years." Kazel smiled at the thought of the young Revan back then. "Revan was always someone the Jedi, all Jedi looked up to. Masters, Padawans, Knights, all of them respected Revan. If you had met Revan back then…you would have joined him too. Very few didn't" Brianna smiled before replying.

"Bastila didn't…" Kazel raised an eyebrow then laughed and Brianna realised why and joined him in his humour.

"Yes but Bastila is the only one who truly knows Revan. She's the only one who could see what lay beneath the words, beneath the incredible charisma and charm, beneath the unmatchable power" Kazel chuckled again as Brianna smiled. Perhaps he understood Revan better than he thought. "Even back then, she knew enough of him to realise what the repercussions of following him could be. The only difference now…is that she stills knows but probably just doesn't care anymore" Both shared a hearty laugh once again before standing and making their way outside.

The evening light was slowly turning into the darkness of night, stars beginning to awaken in the sky, their soft twinkling allowing a sense of peace to envelop the small town despite the events of the day.

Bastila and Falcan were waiting outside; Bastila had her arms folded while Falcan was sitting next to one of the fountains near the ship. Both turned as the couple approached.

"This man, where are we supposed to meet him?" Bastila asked. Falcan stood and stretched before answering.

"In the market place, he said to be there just after sunset, so we had better get moving" Falcan finished his stretch as he spoke.

"Can we trust him or his sister?" Bastila replied, Falcan noted the stiff tone in the way Bastila mentioned the sister.

"Don't know…but we'll find out tonight" he answered as he began to move away from the group. "Come on, he'll be there soon" Kazel nodded and took the lead while the others fell into step behind him. However for a few moments Bastila remained looking up at the stars, before jogging to catch up with the others.

* * *

Revan braced himself upright in the chains, and felt his energy return to him. At last his strength had returned and the weakness of the force inhibitor he was wearing was revealed. While still highly advanced compared to the level of technology used in the Republic, it possess one key flaw he had finally found.

The Prodigal Knight had his eyes closed as he allowed his inner darkness to flow into his veins and carefully made sure he remained in control. He could remember the last time he had allowed his anger to rule him, on Tatooine when he slaughtered a clan of Sand People. The door to the chamber he was in opened and he sensed the Sith zealot return to undoubtedly try and continue the torture, _try _to anyway.

"So Revan…. how are we feeling today?" the zealot drawled picking up a long thin blade. Revan simply smirked but kept his eyes closed.

"Well in honesty, I have never felt better" Revan replied. "I have finally, finally figured out a means to escape." The zealot began cackling in laughter as Revan took the time to focus his energy.

"Oh that is a good one." The man replied. "In case you have not realised, there is no-where for you to go. And even if you could escape, that force inhibitor of ours will block your connection to the force" it was Revan's turn to laugh.

"Well you see, that's where you're wrong" Revan answered, throughout the entire exchange his eyes still had not opened. "I have figured out three mistakes that you made during the two weeks you have kept me here" The zealot smiled unseen by Revan.

"Oh…do enlighten me," he entreated, Revan's smirk became a malicious grin, as the chains on his wrists loosened slightly as he flexed his wrists.

"Very well… number 1: your inhibitor blocks the Force that much is true, but it only blocks the light side of the Force. That's how most of the zealots start to follow the True Sith, because they succumb to the temptation of the Dark Side." Revan flexed his wrists again and the chain loosened a little more. "Number 2: you underestimated me. I don't mind giving my inner darkness its freedom every once in a while. I'm not limited in the fact I rely solely on the light". The Sith worshipper approached him with a snarl.

"Enough! You have said enough! It is time for you to die!" Revan's grin returned as the Sith had finally dropped his guard.

"And finally, and this is really the more important part" Revan's legs suddenly shot up and seized the man around the neck. The zealot caught off guard could only take hold of Revan's legs. "You should have killed me when you had the chance" Revan's eyes snapped open, now a golden yellow in colour.

With a quick decisive movement, Revan twisted his lower body and spun himself out of the chains. The man's neck twisted and snapped as he too spun in the air to hit the ground with a thump. Revan landed on his feet and took a long deep breath to calm his anger. He had been right about how tempting the dark side became and how quickly the temptation took hold. He slowly allowed his anger to fade away before turning from the body and leaping into the catacombs above him, making his way through the darkness towards the armoury he had seen on his way in after being captured. This complex was nothing new, he had been here once before.

* * *

Falcan, Kazel, Bastila and Brianna all stood impatient in the dark awaiting their contact. Falcan paced calmly as Kazel stood his arms folded while Bastila fidgeted impatiently. Presently they heard the sound of approaching footsteps. Falcan whipped out one of his blasters and levelled it at the man who he and Kazel had saved earlier in the day. The man jumped and raised his hands and Falcan sighed quickly.

"What took you so long?" Falcan demanded holstering his blaster.

"I was making sure no one followed me" The man replied as he looked round at the gathered party and turned back to Falcan. "Is this everyone?"

"Yes" Falcan answered impatiently. The man nodded.

"Ok then. Follow me, quickly… if people see us they'll get suspicious," he said and quickly the four followed him. "My sister doesn't live far from here".

The journey as he said did not take long, but it was made rather unpleasant by the sudden rainstorm that hit the town. Without ideal clothing, the group was quickly drenched and frozen as they ran through the streets to the woman's house.

After a ten-minute journey of weaving in and out of the alleyways to ensure not a soul saw them, the soaked and now seething party reached the woman's house. The man approached the door and hammered on it with his fist. Bastila and the others huddled together in the unforgiving downpour.

"Come on!" Kazel shouted at him, the man looked back at him as the door opened to reveal his sister. She was a lovely young woman, with golden blond hair and light green eyes. Bastila's grey-blue eyes narrowed upon seeing her and Falcan put his hand on her shoulder, which was tense.

"Relax," he said Bastila took a deep breath and nodded as the man whispered quietly to his sister. The sister nodded quickly and looked at them.

"Please come in…this storm will last all night". The party all scurried into the house as the thunder crashed in the sky above them and the brother quickly hurried away back to his own house, lightning flashing over his head.

After a short period of time, taken to dry themselves off and to introduce themselves, the group gathered in a small sitting room. Instead of consisting of large tables and chairs, there were more comfortable looking floor mats and cushions, with adjoining armrests along with a very low table barely coming off the floor.

The party gathered round the table, with small cups of tea, that resembled small bowls. At the far end Bastila sat cross-legged on her cushion, while Falcan lounged leaning his arm on an armrest while draping his other arm over his knee. Kazel and Brianna both sat in the same posture as Bastila, while Myleena, the woman of the house was kneeling opposite Bastila at the table as the rain battered the roof above them.

"My brother told me you're all outsiders," she stated, Falcan nodded taking a sip of his tea.

"That's what you could call us" he replied, he spoke politely, something noted by Kazel. Falcan usual had a very confident air to his speech, while not arrogance it was confidence nonetheless. "We've come here searching for a friend" Myleena nodded.

"Well I'm not sure how I can be of help…" she answered with a smile. "I only leave this house to buy food and water each day" Falcan nodded and Bastila leaned forward.

"Your brother told us that you housed an outsider not too long ago" Myleena tensed slightly but nodded all the same, realising she had better not hide anything.

"Yes I did…he saved my life from the Beasts…or the um…" she paused to think of the word.

"The Sith?" Brianna clarified. Myleena nodded.

"Yes, that's the name he gave them" she replied. "He stopped one before it was able to feed on me. He didn't have anywhere to go so I allowed him to stay here for a few days until the search for him died down." the party listened intently.

"What was he like?" Kazel asked. Myleena looked confused. "The man who saved you…"

Myleena pondered for a moment as the party waited. "Kind, gentle, handsome…" Bastila tensed once again, and she narrowed her eyes once more, while the others exchanged knowing looks, thinking they finally had a lead. "But strong and powerful. It was like he was two different people at times, when he killed the Sith, he was ruthless but when he spoke to me, he was very polite, humble and wise" Falcan looked at Bastila and smirked seeing Bastila's fists clenched slightly but he groaned slightly at Bastila's next question.

"Did you get close to this man?" she demanded. Myleena looked slightly taken aback by the sudden brusqueness of the question but smiled calmly as she answered.

"Not very close, we were friends but that was all, he saved my life and I am grateful for it, he was careful to make sure we did not become too close, he said it was better that way." Bastila didn't seem satisfied but nodded all the same. Kazel came again at this point.

"Did he tell you his name?" Myleena looked at him with a guarded look.

"Yes…but told me not to tell anyone unless they were the right people" She replied with a very brisk tone. Kazel looked at Falcan who returned the gaze before looking back at Myleena.

"Listen we think we may be the people he was referring to" He stated, Myleena looked at him. "Was his name Revan?" her jaw dropped slightly.

"Yes…how did you…?" Kazel chuckled as she stumbled over her words.

"Your description of him is exactly how many other people have described him and it sounds like him to make sure he doesn't endanger people by letting them too close" he clarified. Myleena nodded and finally indulged her story.

"He didn't stay long, only three or four days at best. He left one night, leaving a note saying thank you for housing him. In truth I should be thanking him for saving me" She broke off for a second. "I haven't seen Revan since then, and that was over five months ago, and now you've come looking for him" She was cut off by Bastila at this point.

"Did he say where he was going?" she inquired eagerly. Myleena shook her head.

"No, but I think I have an idea where he may have stayed briefly after staying here" Bastila nodded for her to continue. "There's a village in the forest just beyond the town. I'm familiar with the people there; in fact my parents stayed there. I travelled there with Revan once to pick up some herbs and the people took an interest to him and his theories on the Sith. They might know something" Falcan looked at Bastila, then Kazel and Brianna before turning back to Myleena.

"We'd appreciate it if you could take us there" he stated she nodded.

"I was going to make a trip there tomorrow. You are welcome to come along if you wish" the party looked at each other and nodded.

"Thank you" Bastila offered and Myleena smiled.

"You may stay here tonight, the storm should be finished by the morning. About midday I'll take you to the village, but the way through the forest takes close to three hours" they nodded understandingly. "Also the people there may take an interest in you, so don't be alarmed." She stood and gave a small bow. "My house is yours. The guest's rooms are at the back of the house. See you tomorrow morning." She left the room calmly with another small bow. The others remained for a short time.

"What do you think?" Kazel asked. "Do you think she's telling the truth?" Bastila nodded before replying.

"I sensed no deception from her and she seemed genuine in her knowledge of Revan." Falcan noted that tight tone in her voice as she finished her sentence.

"Either way, this is our best bet for the moment" he replied. "We should turn in, tomorrow may be a long day." Falcan stood and exited the room, Bastila following suit. Kazel and Brianna stood as one and slowly made their way out of the room.

Finding the guest rooms was easy enough and they separately turned in. Kazel and Brianna sharing their room. For an hour or so, they lay awake together, Brianna resting her head on his chest while he ran his hand down her back.

"What will happen do you think when we find Revan?" Brianna inquired tiredly. Kazel shook his head.

"Hopefully he'll return to the Republic with us, but fighting the True Sith may be of more importance to him." Kazel laughed slightly. "Revan has always been one thing: a hero." Brianna smiled and closed her eyes quickly falling to sleep. Kazel remained awake and gazed outside as the rain continued to clamp against the window.

* * *

Revan dropped down onto the guard outside the armoury, and swiftly knocked him out. Quickly entering the armoury he dragged the body inside and threw him into one of the cargo containers. Looking round he saw the numerous weapon racks and began picking out weapons.

He sheathed two knives onto his waist and attached two Sith blasters to his belt before taking a blaster rifle from the rack as well. As he did so, the door behind him opened and he turned to see a stunned zealot standing there.

"How…?" Before the zealot could finish he fell, a blaster bolt having ripped through his skull. Revan watched the body fall and heard the alarm go. He checked the rifle's energy levels and took some spare energy cells before beginning his escape uttering only two words.

"Game on…"

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_Your reviews please guys!!_


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The Sith worshipper barely had time to blink as he came round the corner. A blaster bolt from Revan's rifle sent him to the floor, a large smouldering hole in his chest. Revan quickly slung his rifle over his back and pulled out his blaster pistols. Spinning the one his right hand, he came round the corner as the guards all raised their rifles.

One by one they fell, Revan raising his pistols one after another, taking down zealot after zealot who came up the corridor. Revan levelled both pistols at the remaining and sent him hurtling back with two red bolts of thunder. Revan quickly re-holstered his weapons and broke off into a run ignoring the bodies.

Hunting the hunters had become all too familiar for Revan. Ever since his first run in with the True Sith, he had become one of their most prized hunts. His first escape from this place started it all. From the point he re-entered the sunlight onwards, they had come for him time and time again.

But Revan being Revan, wasn't going to stand by and allow them to have his life without a fight. After weeks of being the prey, Revan became the predator. He hunted them back, learned their tactics and had been fighting them that way ever since. Traps, blasters, blades, hand-to-hand combat; he used all to fight them. Revan's cunning nature had gotten the better of numerous zealots and Sith as they made the same mistake so many others have done: they underestimated him.

Revan quickly flipped the rifle off his shoulder and kicked another guard to the floor, catching the rifle as it came in front of him. He blasted the guard in the chest before a second came round the corner. Revan quickly kicked the guards weapon from his hand, but in return had his rifle knocked to the floor with a clatter.

A brutal hand-to-hand exchange ensued. Revan curved his right arm down and then up to catch two kicks aimed at his side. He leant back to avoid an outer-crescent kick to his head, before bringing both his hands down to block a fourth kick. He parried a backhand and jabbed the man in the nose. Spinning on the spot, he kicked the man round the face, sending him into the wall, and followed up with a back kick, crushing the man's head against the metal.

As the body slumped, Revan rolled away, as a blaster bolt shot through the air space his head had just been occupying. Reacquiring his rifle, he sent another bolt of energy through the man's skull and the man flumped to the floor. He quickly got to his feet and began his escape anew as more guards came round the bend.

Revan's brain was like a constantly working console. He was always thinking, always planning his next move. Nothing was overdone, if something hindered him too long, he would dismiss it and move on. He could not let anything slow him down he needed to escape. Now.

Revan looked at the rifle and saw it was low on energy. Cursing he quickened his pace weaving through the corridors of the Sith prison. He dived forward drawing both his knives from his waist and slashed through a soldier's waist, rolling back onto his feet and continuing the run as other guards shot past the falling body. Revan stopped and glanced back for a split second, before looking at the pillar to his left. With a smirk he slashed the base and it toppled over blocking the guards path.

Revan sped through the prison once more, nothing blocking his path, until he reached the exit. He skidded to a halt as standing in front of his salvation was a Sith warrior. The warrior snarled dangerously, its tail whipping through the air and it spun a menacing serrated double-bladed vibroblade in its hands.

"Oh there is no way my luck is that bad…" Revan muttered to himself, his black hair gathering around his sweaty face and his chest heaving. The Sith roared and charged towards him. "Oh Sith spit…"

Kazel stood outside of Myleena's house, his eyes fixed on the horizon ahead. He could feel something, something strange and twisted in the air. Almost as if the light and dark sides of the Force were at constant war with each other. Yet there was no clear winner, one second the darkness was superior, the next the light would be greater. The constant shift from bright to pure black made his head hurt, and he massaged his temple to try and ease the ache.

"Is everything alright?" The Exile turned to see Bastila, who looked tired to say the least. While he did not know why, Bastila had never been able to sleep properly through storms, at least without Revan. She was afraid of them, something that had been present since her childhood.

"Can you feel it?" she frowned for a second. "The fluctuations in the Force?" She made an "ah" movement with her mouth and nodded.

"Yes, I have been sensing them all night" Kazel nodded. "They seem close, very close. But I can't determine what it is" Kazel smiled as Bastila stood next to him.

"Five will get you ten that Revan will have something to do with it" She looked at him and he nodded. "You know only Revan could affect the force in this way" she smiled knowingly and nodded.

"Revan has that affect on everything, it's in his nature to blur everything" Kazel's smile faltered slightly as Bastila continued. "Revan could always tell you everything would be all right and you would believe him. He told me so many times he would protect me, and he did" Bastila sighed shakily. "Revan has the unique ability to lie with the truth. He doesn't do it often but when he does, you barely even realise he has done it." Kazel raised an eyebrow.

"Lie with the truth?" Kazel repeated. " A dangerous trait…" He pointed out. Bastila nodded before answering.

"But a powerful weapon. It's part of what made him so dangerous as a Sith, and what makes him so dangerous as a warrior. He is so skilled at bluffing opponents, at luring them into a false sense of security but suddenly will turn that security against them." Bastila shuddered slightly when she remembered him using that trick on her when they fought. "Revan often puts on the mask of a serene Jedi to mask the fact he also draws from the Dark side. So in essence he is lying with the truth of the Jedi to hide his inner darkness" Kazel looked away back to the horizon.

"But he is the farthest thing from a Jedi, as well as a Sith" Bastila nodded once more.

"Revan is a little bit of both as am I" He turned back to her and she had a strange almost satisfied smile on her face, but her aura remained calm yet incredibly powerful. "Light and dark mix within our souls and through that balance is achieved and through balance, power is achieved" Kazel thought for a moment as the words played again in his mind.

"Power through balance?" he said again. "How is that possible?" he asked.

"That is not a question you should ask me" Bastila replied. "But one you should ask Revan when we find him" As she spoke, Falcan and Brianna emerged from the house along with Myleena. Myleena smiled calmly and lifted the bag she was carrying.

"The journey is long as I have said, but I know the way well" The party nodded and she turned away began to walk in the opposite direction of the town. The party all looked at each other before following. Kazel tapped his communicator to the Ebon Hawk as they walked.

"Mandalore you copy?" After a few moments, the gruff voice of the leader of the Mandalorians replied.

"I hear ya"

"Are you tracking our positions?"

"Yeah, just watch yourself Exile, I'm picking up a lot of life forms inside that forest and can't determine what they are." Mandalore stated, as he looked at the hologram in the main hold along with the droids, HK looking as calm and menacing as usual, T3 chirping to himself.

"Got it, anything else I should know about?" the Exile replied.

"Just one more thing. There seems to be a village of some kind in the forest, so you may want to stay on your toes. There's a clearing just to the east of it. I'll take the Ebon Hawk and put her down there" Mandalore answered.

"Got it. Thanks Mandalore. Kazel out" The Exile replied.

"Watch yourself" was the final message before the comlink switched off.

The collection of individuals entered the forest after a half-hour walk and quickly they were taken away by its beauty. As Myleena had seen it all before, Bastila and the others could not help but look around in awe at it's incredibly striking features. The trees were tall and dense with many coloured leaves, the flowers were rich and beautiful with red petals mixed with shades of purple. The wind would often whistle serenely through the trees and the party gazed in wander at the magnificent place.

"There is a village in the center of the forest" Myleena began explaining as the party continued to move through the forest. "The people there are enemies of the Sith and are very knowledgeable of their tactics, their way of life and where their sanctuaries are located." She looked back at them while she spoke. "They may be able to help you find Revan" Bastila nodded as the forest came to a small clearing.

"Did Revan meet these people?" she asked curiously as the clearing re-entered the corridors of trees. Myleena nodded as they walked carefully through the forests, ducking under branches and stepping over roots.

"Yes, he taught them much about fighting the Sith" Falcan smirked and shook his head. "Revan showed them ways to fight the Sith and their followers without resorting to full-out war" Myleena finished as they trees loomed over them.

Kazel suddenly stopped dead and looked around the area. The others stopped as well and looked around.

"What is it Kazel?" Brianna asked. Kazel shook his head, still looking around. For a few moments there was nothing but silence as the party gazed at their surroundings with a guarded patience as if trying to determine the location of something special within the forest.

Suddenly from the bushes next to Kazel, a man came leaping into view. Kazel wasn't able to react in time and was tackled to the ground. Bastila was able to duck a dive from another man, while Falcan caught his in the air and slammed him to the ground. Brianna rolled under hers and hit him with a flurry of blows, before spin kicking him to the ground. Kazel rolled out from under his assailant and nailed him with a right hook. Bastila caught her opponent's arm and ran up a tree flipping and landing behind him. Hearing his shoulder dislocate, she spun and kicked his legs out from under him. Falcan avoided three blows to his head, before kneeing his opponent in the stomach and driving his elbow into the back of his head.

Just as the party straightened up, the sound of clicking rifles sounded around them and they looked to see about two dozen people standing with blasters aimed at them. The leader of the ambush, a tall imposing man just past his middle years with a tattoo over his right eye stepped forward and looked them over with a menacing glare.

"What business do outsiders have here?" the party didn't answer. "Speak quickly!" he demanded. Myleena quickly stepped from her place.

"Forgive me, Berail they are with me, I forgot to warn them about your hunting parties" Berail gazed at her and then to the shock of all laughed jovially.

"I know Myleena, we were simply seeing how they would react to our surprise," The rest of the hunters laughed as well while Bastila and the others looked at each other bewildered. "Forgive me" Berail bowed to the party in a polite manner. "My followers and I have been following you for some time, we overheard everything" Kazel frowned and stepped forward.

"Why could we not sense you?" Berail chuckled again.

"Something your friend Revan taught us" he answered. "Oh a skilled man was that boy." He laughed again. "Even one as old as I learned a thing or two from him" He helped the man who had been cold clocked by Kazel to his feet. "Come follow me, our village is not far from here. We would be honoured to assist you in any way possible." Bastila took lead and followed Berail directly while the others fell into step behind them. Myleena walked next to Berial as they moved through the dense vegetation towards what they could only assume to be Berail's village.

The village itself was very simple, yet incredible as well. The village, in some ways, mirrored the structure of the wookie villages of Kashyyyk. The houses were along the ground and in the trees as well, walkways connecting the tree houses. On the ground in small circles, pairs of people were sparring. Judging from appearance, it seemed some of the circles were used for hand-to-hand combat while others were blade-to-blade. Falcan and the others came to a stop outside one of the circles watching a pair spar.

One of them was a young woman and she seemed to be the most skilled combatant of the two. She easily parried two body blows from her partner then spun round, knocking him to his knees before knocking him to the ground with a kick combination. Berail clapped in respect as she helped her opponent to his feet. Berail turned to the gathered party who looked on with respect.

"This is Ishale" Berail said, the young woman bowed to the party in a formal manner. "She is the daughter of a warrior in the village, well former warrior, since he betrayed us" The party did not press the subject. "She was trained personally by Revan…and before you can say anything" he said looking directly at Bastila much to her shock. "She looks at Revan like an older brother, she worships him" Bastila looked too surprised to reply and Falcan and Kazel sniggered slightly.

"Who are our guests?" A young man around the circle asked. His voice dripped with arrogance, something Falcan did not like. "They look very frail" Berail shook his head in annoyance.

"Enough Zeven" he said "They are friends of Revan, they are here to help" Zeven snorted.

"Help? They don't seem very helpful looking to me" he looked them over as Falcan's eyes narrowed dangerously. "They will simply get in my way" as he turned to leave Falcan called after him.

"Would you like to eat those words?" Zeven turned back and all eyes fell on Falcan.

"Are you challenging me outsider?" Zeven demanded indignantly.

"I believe I am" Falcan replied taking his holsters from his belt and throwing them to Kazel who caught them, the party looked on with knowing smirks. "I don't appreciate being called dead weight" Zeven smirked as did his followers and he stepped in the circle.

"Very well, but don't cry when I beat you" he said taking a defence stance.

"You presume much," the bounty hunter answered, moving opposite the young man. Unlike Zeven, Falcan kept his hands at his side and simply observed Zeven.

"Aren't you going to take a defence stance?" Zeven inquired.

"I've been in one ever since I stepped into the circle" Zeven raised an eyebrow at Falcan who remained calm and collected.

"That's the worst defence I've ever seen" he remarked and then he leapt forward as the fellow trainee's and the party watched with interest.

Falcan leaned his head back to avoid a kick then inclined his head to the side avoiding a punch and ducked under a hook punch. He stood behind Zeven, still in the same stance as before keeping a trained eye on the man. Zeven growled slightly already frustrated and attacked again. Falcan as before dodged three blows, before raised his hand to catch Zeven's arm.

"You leave yourself open every time you attack" Falcan stated, much to the gatherings surprise. "I could've killed you three times over by now" Zeven's eyes widened slightly as the crowd all exchanged hushed whispers and murmurs even Berail looking a bit shocked.

"Nice bluff outsider" Zeven retorted freeing his arm and went for a straight kick. It was over. Falcan caught his opponent's leg under his arm and grabbed him by the chest. Lifting Zeven off his feet, the bounty hunter slammed him to the ground with huge force. Zeven hit the ground with a groan of pain and the crowd all seemed shocked at Falcan's skill.

"For all your talk, you're not much yourself" Falcan said releasing Zeven's leg and allowing it to fall to the floor. "If you leave yourself open, you will die," Zeven barely acknowledged him as he got to his feet grumbling under his breath before rejoining the circle. The young woman, Ishale stepped forward.

"Impressive" she said, her voice was rich and serene. "You seem to know much of our fighting style" Falcan smiled slightly.

"Teräs Käsi" he replied. "Also known as the steel hand" Ishale nodded slightly and dropped into a basic stance, her legs spread evenly to distribute her weight perfectly around her body, and her right slightly bent back, with her left arm out. Falcan could tell just from her stance, she was far more skilled than Zeven.

"She challenges you outsider" Berail called to him. "Do you accept?" The crowd once again all began to whisper.

"I do" Falcan replied with smile. As before he kept his hands at his side. "Your move" he said to Ishale.

"Of course" she replied with a confident smirk. Falcan almost regretted his decision as she came forward much quicker than Zeven had. He quickly parried a palm thrust at his chest and blocked a blow at his neck with his arm. Spinning round he attempted a backhand, but it was caught. He raised his knee to catch her kick and pushed her back slightly.

She was on him again. Falcan slapped away two blows before ducking a hook kick then caught her other leg and leant her down slightly, almost like a dance. Ishale looked up at him for a second looking slightly flustered.

"You're holding back," Falcan said with a smile. She gave a smile in returned.

"Yes".

"Don't" her smile grew further. Her other leg came back up, and pushed him off of her, and she used the momentum to flip onto her feet. Falcan found himself quickly on the defensive as her blows had increased in speed.

Falcan used both hands to block a kick, then parried two punches at his ribs, before catching a backhand towards his chest. To his surprise, her other hand came round to catch him round the face, and this was followed by the backhand he had just caught. As he stumbled back she kicked his legs out and then appeared above him her fist poised.

Kazel and Brianna looked at each other in shock, but Bastila felt a smile mar her features. It wasn't over yet.

"Do you yield?" Ishale asked. Falcan seemed to think for a second before looking at her.

"That depends. Do you want me to get serious first?" Ishale felt another smile form on her face as if in answer to the challenge.

"By all means" Falcan felt a somewhat evil smirk form on his lips.

"As you wish, my lady" Falcan's foot caught her on the back of the head, and she rolled off him. Falcan kipped up onto his feet and turned as she advanced. She aimed a powerful thrust punch at him, aiming for his chest.

Falcan simply stepped to one side to avoid. But his body seemed to blur as he did it. Even Bastila looked shocked at this, such speed should have been impossible. Ishale spun, trying to kick him in the side, but Falcan ducked under it, and battered a second kick away. He inclined his upper body left, right and back to dodge three more blows before making his move. Catching her backhand blow, he aimed one himself only to have it caught in kind. But he simply spun her around, knocking her off balance and then kicked her legs out from under her. She hit the ground and she saw his foot aimed towards her throat.

"Yield?" Falcan offered with a smile. The crowd was silent, in shock. Even the party seemed in awe of what just happened. Ishale caught her breath before nodding.

"Yes" Falcan stepped back and held out his hand. She took it and he pulled her to her feet. "How did you move that fast?" she asked as she brushed herself off.

"Part of the Teräs Käsi principle is to draw on your inner power. I have been trained to do that. Releasing your inner energy to give bursts of speed and strength. "Ishale nodded with interest. "It takes concentration to do at first but after sufficient training, it becomes almost a second nature to you." Falcan finished. Berail approached with a look of respect on his face.

"Very impressive" He said. "Ishale is one of our most skilled" Ishale looked down sheepishly. "We would be honoured if you would train with us again" Falcan bowed in respect.

"I would be honoured" he replied with smile. Berail gave a half-bow in return.

"Come now our meal is almost ready. We are eager to hear what has brought you to our humble home" Berail indicated with his hand and the party fell into to step behind him. Ishale walked next to Berail but spared a glance back to Falcan for a second, looking away before he caught her.

Revan hit the wall with a yell of pain and slumped to the ground. Stupid, stupid he berated himself as he got to his feet. Trying to match strength with a True Sith was a foolhardy thing to do, they were easily stronger than ten men combined. Revan got to his feet as the Sith twirled his double vibro-blade in his hands. Revan growled wishing now he had taken the sword he had seen in the armoury.

The Sith came at him again, and Revan used both knives to catch the blade. Ducking under the other blade, Revan used his knives to slash through the Sith's leg and rolled away. For all the good it did, the Sith simply got to his feet and gave a bellowing cackle. Revan found himself hurled through the air, hitting the wall again, as the Dark Side pulse impacted on his body.

"Revan. Give up, you need not die" The Sith said in his raspy voice. "We could always find a place for you with us" Revan scoffed.

"As appealing as that sounds, I think I'll pass" The Sith growled. "I like the way I am, and I won't lower myself to murdering innocents again" The Sith snarled in anger and hurled the vibrosword at Revan. He ducked under it as it embedded in the wall. But the Sith seized him round the waist and threw him across the room. Revan skidded along the floor and rolled onto his back, but the Sith grabbed him by the throat and lifted him bodily from the ground.

"Then you die!" the Sith roared and slammed Revan onto the ground before throwing him into the wall. The Sith caught Revan as he fell and punched him into the wall again. As the former Sith hit the ground, he was kicked in the ribs and sent flying into the ground. He groaned and spat some blood onto the floor as his assailant approached. Revan looked up and noticed the vibro-double blade still in the wall. Quickly drawing on the darkness that was free to roam through his body due to the inhibitor around his neck, Revan bolted towards it before the True Sith could react.

He yanked out of the wall and spun, slashing the Sith across the stomach. The warrior stumbled back and Revan attacked again. The warrior raised his arms and the scales block the blades as they came. Revan slashed left and right forcing his opponent to block. He spun catching the Sith off guard and drove one blade through its chest. Without missing a beat, he brought the other blade round to open it's throat and it crumpled to the ground.

Revan straighened up his chest heaving. He placed the new weapon on his back and as quickly as his aching body would allow him moved to exit. A deep growl behind him caused him to stop and slowly look back. The Sith was getting to its feet and the wound on its throat closed, leaving no trace that a blade had just passed through it. The Sith seemed to leer evilly at Revan.

_He must have recently fed_ Revan thought to himself. _Only one thing for it._ Revan gripped a piece of rubble that had come loose during the battle with the dark side and hurled at the Sith. The Sith cut it with his hand as Revan quickly bolted up the corridor, shielding his eyes from the sun as he came out into the open.

Stopping and quickly glancing round, he took in the view of a magnificent forest around him. Before he could marvel at its brilliance, the Sith emerged from the tunnel behind him. Revan quickly started running again the Sith in hot pursuit. Revan reached the edge of a cliff and leapt off of it, plummeting into the forest below. The Sith reached the edge and snarled in anger as Revan disappeared into the woodland.

"You won't escape Revan, I will find you and when I do, I will rip you to pieces."

The entire village were gathered around the fire, meat and drink being passed around. Myleena sat next to Berail and was speaking quietly to him. Bastila and Falcan were also talking while Brianna who was not very hungry was leaning on Kazel's shoulder as he took a gulp of his water. The night had settled in rather quickly and the forest seemed alive as the sounds of chirps and clicks came from all directions and some of the village children danced around the fire. Berail looked at the party who were sitting at the far end of the fire.

"Tell me" The party looked up at him as the villagers fell into the silence. "Revan must be important to you, for you to come this far." Bastila nodded while the others remained silent. "Why would Revan come here alone then, instead of bringing you with him?" The party did not answer at first.

"Maybe he thought they would slow him down" Zeven said looking at Falcan.

"The truth is we don't know why" Falcan corrected Zeven, silencing the arrogant youth with a lethal glare. "He was always something of a lone wolf but he did allow us to help him. Why he came here alone is a mystery to us" Falcan looked down as Kazel came in.

"He left behind many people who cared about him." Kazel looked pointedly at Bastila who had her hand on the pendant Revan had given her. "Apparently he could not take anyone he loved with him. But…" Kazel looked back at Berail "Revan probably needs our help and yours. He can't defeat the Sith alone" Berail laughed slightly.

"I think you sell him short" Bastila glared suddenly at the imposing man, her aura flaring slightly.

"No…you don't know half of what Revan is capable of" Berail looked at her slightly taken aback. "Revan once fought through an entire army by himself, and has defeated many powerful opponents in singles combat. He is fully capable of defeating any single Sith, but he cannot take them all on" Brianna nodded as Bastila continued to look at Berail who was clearly intimidated by her, despite being physically bigger than her.

"There are simply too many Sith for Revan to face alone, which is why we came" Brianna finished Berail nodded taking a bite of his meat.

"What do you know of the Sith?" Berial asked. The party exchanged looks for a second.

"The Sith we are familiar with are different to these ones." Falcan answered. "They are mostly soldiers who do the bidding of their masters. Dark Jedi are also exclusive to the Sith which is led by the Dark Lord of the Sith and their apprentices. They are, in truth, nothing compared to what we have heard these Sith are capable of doing" Berail inclined his head once more and stood circling the fire as if he were to recite a pray.

"The Sith came to this place many hundreds of years ago. They were strong, wise and charismatic. They promised the people here many things in exchange for their service. At first we were more than willing to help them, but as time went on we were oppressed by their rule" Berail circled the fire looking at it as the party listened. "Eventually a large collection of our people challenged their rule and were exiled. They had seen them feed on people to increase their strength and would not stand by while it happened." Berail gestured around at the villagers around them. "Everyone here is descended from a person who defied the Sith and we continue their dream of wanting to see the Sith gone." Berail looked back at the party.

"Everyone here is a descendant of those who defied the Sith?" Brianna asked. Berail nodded and Ishale stood up.

"Our families have fought the Sith for generations. They could do little against them at first, but eventually they were able to take weapons and fight the Sith effectively for a time." Ishale looked around at the forest. "But they were forced to come to this place and fight a guerrilla war. That war has been continued for many years now." Ishale looked at the party. "Revan's training helped us prepare for the Sith attacks after he left and they have been reluctant to attack us due to his training." Falcan smiled.

"Yeah that sounds like Revan." He looked at Berail who nodded.

"What can you tell us of your Sith?" the older man asked. Falcan chuckled slightly and stood up joining Ishale and Berail as the villagers looked on.

"Well for starters" Falcan stated looking into the fire with a strange reminisce. "I used to be one…" Kazel looked flabbergasted at the bounty hunter, Bastila who already knew did not move, while Brianna joined Kazel in his moment of shock. Berail also looked slightly taken aback.

"You were Sith?" he asked. Falcan nodded looking into the fire once more.

"For a time yes, but I was not just any Sith no…" He looked up at Berail and for second Falcan's green eyes gleamed slightly. "I was a Sith assassin." The Exile's jaw dropped as the villagers exchanged excited whispers as all eyes fell on Falcan.

"An Assassin?" Ishale asked.

"I was part of Revan's elite assassin unit known as The Shadow Walkers. We were trained for specifics reasons: to hunt Jedi." Berail nodded eagerly with knowledge. "I was Revan's best, and that's not me bragging, it's fact." The villagers listened with great interest as the party also listened eagerly.

"Then why did you leave the Sith?" Berail asked. "Why give it up?"

Falcan smiled again and looked up at the older man.

"In order for you to understand fully, I must start from the beginning…" Falcan stepped into the firelight and all eyes were upon him. Even the forest seemed to anticipate the tale that Falcan was about to share, like he was some wise sage about to impart a lesson to his students. "From one of my first missions for Revan during the Jedi Civil War…"

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_What do you think guys? Good, bad? Reviews please!!_


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

_To some of my previous readers who have read my other star wars fics, this will be all one story, there will be no break in this story to start another one._

_Remember this is a flashback chapter, just to prevent any confusion._

_Enjoy!!_

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Chapter 8

_Many people often wander why did so many Knights abandon the Jedi order during the Civil War. Well the answer is both simple and complex, not many people know why, and those who did, well…they never spoke of it, or were silenced. _

_Naturally the simple reason why so many Jedi abandoned the Order was Revan. His power, his charisma, his words, his presence, his message…So many people flocked to Revan's cause because they believed in peace and that Revan could provide it. Of course in Revan's mind: he was never important, his message was. Those who joined him would make the Sith what they are today, I was one of them for a time._

_However there were Jedi who did not join him. Those who were wise enough to realise that perhaps Revan's message was not what it seemed to be, that perhaps his motives were impure. They were insightful enough to see that perhaps the future may not have been as bright as Revan could make it out to be. Despite Revan's efforts they would not be swayed and remained faithful to the Order, but Revan would now allow them to become a threat. They were either with him or against him it was that simple._

_Normally, the hunting of Jedi would be reserved for the apprentice, but Revan had lost faith in Malak during the Mandalorian Wars, when he realised he couldn't trust him. Instead he composed an elite group, a group of Assassins. One by one the Jedi who opposed him fell to those who would become known as the Shadow Walkers. We were no ordinary assassins; no…in fact we were on a completely different level to any other assassin with Revan's Order._

_We were a squad of six, three teams of two; often working missions together but one Shadow Walker was enough to take down any Jedi. There was me, squad leader and Revan's right hand, his personal assassin. My partner was Juno, beautiful and merciless. There was Zev the fiercest and least subtle of our group and Arial, calm, composed and lethal. Finally there was Caleb, quiet and ruthless and Shalla, professional and subtle. We six were under Revan's personal command, so much so very few people outside the Sith ever heard of or even saw us. Only those high ranked within the Sith were given authority to be in the room when Revan gave us our orders._

_We were specifically trained to hunt Jedi. And we were good. Vibro-blades, blasters and hand-to-hand combat were but a few of the tools at our disposal. Needless to say the training proved effective. Over half of the Jedi who vanished in the civil war were victims of the Shadow Walkers. I remember mine well and now you too will know…_

Falcan walked through the corridors of the _Legacy_ Darth Revan's flagship. He was wearing an almost completely leather outfit, almost like Jedi robes but more form fitting and without the cloak. His wrists were encased in dark gauntlets. Most of the soldiers were quick to get out of his way, some turning round completely.

Falcan continued to move through the ship until reaching the bridge. The bridge door opened and he entered, the soldiers again quick to get out of his way. At the far end of the bridge stood Darth Revan, his figure completely encased within his dark armour and robes, his face hidden beneath the menacing mask. Next to him stood Saul Karath the Admiral of the fleet. Behind them stood Juno, Falcan's partner. Juno was very beautiful her long silvery hair fell to below her shoulders and her light blues eyes shone from within her beautiful face. She was dressed in a similar attire to Falcan. She turned as he approached and offered a small smile before turning back to their Master. Both of them knelt as Revan dismissed Karath.

"Falcan, Juno I am glad you have come" Revan's mechanical voice rasped through his mask as he stared out into space. Both remained on one knee, as Revan turned to them. "I have a mission for you, one of utmost importance." Falcan bowed his head, as did Juno.

"We are yours to command" Juno breathed, her voice sensual and alluring with a hint of power beneath it. Revan nodded and paced in front of them

"We have located a Jedi. He is in self-imposed exile on Yavin IV. He has taken up residence in the local temple there." Revan explained. "The monks of the temple are being trained in combat by this Jedi they are becoming a threat. If he is left to roam free he could soon become an annoyance" Falcan looked up at Revan, his green eyes gleaming dangerously.

"Give me a name and I shall give you blood" Revan smirked slightly underneath the mask.

"So I will: Darogun, Battle master of the Jedi Order during the Mandalorian Wars. He went into exile after the order failed to act during the war. His skill with the lightsaber is highly advanced surpassing even Kavar." Revan's eyes shone slightly hidden beneath his mask. "I cannot allow him to threaten my plans. Find him, kill him and bring me his lightsaber." Falcan bowed his head.

"It shall be so" he replied.

"Go now, I have given you your task, I expect to hear of your success" Falcan got to his feet and Juno followed suit. Juno turned and began to leave. Falcan began to follow but Revan called him back. "Falcan…" he turned.

"Yes my Lord?" Revan turned to him and put his hand on his shoulder.

"Watch yourself, Darogun is not to be underestimated" Falcan nodded with a smile.

"Since when have I ever disappointed you?" Revan nodded and lowered his hand, and Falcan bowed before leaving. "I will return when my task is complete." Falcan exited the bridge finding Juno leaning against the wall waiting for him. She smiled as the bridge door closed.

"I know it's none of my business but, why do you always seem to be our Lords friend" Juno asked. Falcan smiled and shook his head.

"That's personal Juno, and it'll stay that way until I deem otherwise" she nodded and pushed off the wall.

"Ok how about we make a deal?" she asked, he raised an eyebrow. "How about after we complete this mission, you tell me why it is you seem to be favoured by Lord Revan?" Falcan thought for a moment and smiled.

"Ok then you have a deal." He then leaned in and kissed her quickly his hand resting on her cheek; Juno returned it for a few seconds before they broke apart. "Besides I think I'll owe you another one of those after the mission is finished" Juno nodded with a serene smile and then kissed him quickly catching him by surprise.

"After that, you definitely owe me one" she purred as she glided from his grasp towards her quarters to prepare her equipment. Falcan shook his head and proceeded to collect his own equipment.

_Juno and I were often reserved for the highest priority missions. The other members took down other Jedi, but we usually got the important ones, the Masters, the true threats to Revan's plan. We were the best of the squad, always able to complete missions quickly and efficiently. It was only natural that we would grow close; very close we were barely seen without each other._

_We served Revan as his personal assassins, after HK-47 of course. But our orders came directly from Revan. While the rest of squad received orders from Revan through either Saul or Malak, Revan personally tasked Juno and I with missions._

_Revan and I were friends, despite the difference of position and the fact Revan was the Dark Lord of the Sith. The reason being, we grew up together. We were both Deralians and we were both slaves when we were children. Because of that we were brothers._

_As a Sith, Revan was brutal, ruthless and sadistic. It was not uncommon for him to kill someone who disobeyed his orders. Hell…I was there when he took Malak's jaw. Needless to say, Malak deserved it, he should've known better than to challenge Revan. In truth though, as a man, Revan never changed, he simply hid that side of him away, making sure that nobody saw the…human emotions he had despite his title. He was a leader and a conqueror, he needed to appear powerful, aloof and in control._

_People look at Revan back then, and simply see a monster, a man who was responsible for the deaths of hundreds if not thousands of people. They think Revan was the devil himself. Heh…they couldn't be more wrong. It's true that Darth Revan had a vast body count to his name but there is a fine line between good and evil, but Revan, despite what the Jedi and Republic believe, never truly crossed it. He simply accepted that sometimes sacrifices needed be made in order for things to be achieved, despite how evil the sacrifices that were made seemed to be. Revan wanted a strong order within a time of chaos, that was always his goal and he was willing to sacrifice his own life for it… despite the image he received as a result. _

The shuttle came out of hyperspace above the world of Yavin, which was lush and green as most of it was forest. Falcan adjusted his gauntlets slightly and fixed a blaster pistol to his waist next to his knives. He entered the cockpit as Juno brought them into the forests just south of the temple.

"Well, how do we do this?" Juno inquired as she checked herself over making sure she had all her equipment. As she patted her holster, Falcan held out a smaller assassin blaster with a smirk and she shook her head. "You always do that," she said taking it from him, but getting close to him.

"And you never catch on" he replied, his breath tickling her lips. "You should know me better by now" she laughed slightly and pecked his lips.

"So you find one entrance, I'll find the other and we find this Jedi," she inquired. Falcan nodded.

"Yes, it would be better if we split up. Just watch your back" she smiled as she turned away and walked out of the ship, pausing to look over her shoulder at him.

"Don't I always?" and with that she vanished from view. Falcan grinned slightly and exited the ship before vanishing into the forest towards the temple.

A guard was positioned on a hillside near the temple, watching over it as the evening sun slowly began to set, leaving a strange red glow in the sky. He groaned slightly leaning on his double-blade vibro blade as the temple became bathed in red. Suddenly he felt two hands seize him round the neck and his head was jerked to the side. With a sick snap, the man fell limp and his body dropped to the ground. Falcan stepped over the body and looked down at the temple for a few moments before looking at the setting sun.

"A red sun set…" he muttered before gazing back at the temple. "Blood will be spilled this night" with that Falcan dropped over the hillside towards the temple.

A line of guards stood inside the main courtyard. All of them were holding double-blade swords and were all standing to attention. They all seemed a little bored. They failed to notice the figure flipping into view behind them. After a number thumps and clatters, a single guard looked round to see all his comrades dead on the floor. As he stepped forward to look at the bodies, he sensed a presence behind him. Before he could react, Falcan took hold of him and slit his throat with a knife.

Dropping the dead or dying man, Falcan turned to see three other guards coming towards him. Suddenly from his wrist gauntlets, two blades extended each around 50 centimetres long and out to the sides of his arms, curving slightly backwards. The first man caught off guard, was sliced through the waist. Dashing forward at blurring speed, Falcan slashed the second across the chest. To his credit, the final man was able to get a blow in but Falcan caught the attack with his hand, before catching the man once with an inner blow, and then finishing him with the follow up outer slash, rolling forward.

Looking up, Falcan noticed five other guards charging him. They hadn't sounded the warning, which was a foolish thing to do. Falcan didn't move and simply watched them approach.

Behind them a silver blur roared through the air and caught the first man in front of her. Without stopping Juno shot to the second one, leaving the first man to drop dead and slashed the second one through the throat. The third received a knife thrown into his skull; the fourth was sliced through the waist and the final man was stabbed through the back before she cut the nerves at the back of his neck allowing him to drop to the floor.

Falcan straightened up, his blades retracted back into this gauntlets and he folded his arms as she approached. "Took your time," he said. She grinned

"Sorry, got held up" she replied. He nodded and looked up at the temple. Falcan frowned slightly as he gazed at the temple and Juno noticed, tilted her head to look at him. "What is it?"

"Something's not right here…" she nodded.

"I know it seems to easy…" she paused as he shook his head.

"It's not that…" he answered. "There's something strange about this temple, almost like…there's something within it, other than the Jedi" she laughed slightly.

"Maybe, but standing here won't solve anything." She replied putting her hand on his shoulder. "We have a job to do" he nodded.

"See you in there" Falcan seemed to simply melt away into the darkness and Juno looked back up at the temple.

"I hate it when you do that…" she sighed and leapt onto the walls leading to the top of the tower.

_Looking back I can't believe I was so ignorant at the time. Yavin IV was once the refuge of a Sith Lord. Exar Kun and the temple the Jedi was housed in had once been Kun's base of operations. Still the mission remained largely unaffected by this until I found the Jedi._

_When I did…well, let's just say it wasn't something easy to forget._

Falcan stepped forward, allowing the final guard to drop to the ground, blood oozing down his chest. He looked at the door in front him and deduced it was the main chamber of the temple. He approached the door and forced it open. The doors thundered to life as they swung inwards to reveal a large chamber bathed in moonlight.At the far-end of the room sat a man, in the typical meditative posture his legs crossed and his arms in his lap. In front of him sat his lightsaber. Darogun raised his head slightly as the door closed.

"So you've come," he muttered, his voice deep and powerful. Falcan stepped forward keeping a wary eye on the surrounding chamber. The man turned in the darkness he was now standing in and observed Falcan. "Months of planning to defeat him, and Revan sends a boy to fight me?" he drawls. His voice was laced with arrogance, something uncommon in a Jedi.

"You're lucky Revan didn't come to fight you himself" Falcan replied calmly. The Jedi laughed.

"Perhaps, but I…." Suddenly the Jedi grabbed his head and howled in pain. Falcan frowned as Darogun fell to his knees clutching his skull. "It's coming, it's started already. No! I won't allow it to happen, you will not end me spirit!!" The man stood back up and stepped into the moonlight. Falcan's jaw dropped slightly in disgusted horror and he stepped back.

Darogun's face was deathly white, sunken and skull like. He looked far older than he should have done and his hair was pure white. His robes were tattered and torn. His brown eyes were bloodshot to the point of being almost red and his eyes were underlined with purple bruises. His face was also covered in scars, horrifyingly mutilated ones that seemed to pulsate every so often.

"You serve him, not Revan!" Darogun screamed at him. "You serve that damned spirit that seeks to turn me into his pawn. But you will fail. I am a Jedi!! I WILL NOT BE TURNED!!" Falcan stepped back again as Darogun ignited his silver lightsaber ready to attack.

"This guy's insane" Falcan muttered to himself as Darogun leapt at him. Falcan was able to dodge the first blow and ducked a second. His body blurred as he almost danced over the blade as the deranged Jedi continued to hack and slash at him.

Falcan stepped back to avoid a downward strike and then leapt up to avoid a sweep at his legs. Darogun flung out his hand, and Falcan was sent hurtling back by the force push. Falcan flipped in the air and landed on the wall. His body blurred once more as he leapt from one pillar to another before leaping at Darogun. Just as he reached the Jedi, Falcan shot around him, a silver slipstream flowing behind him and appeared behind the Jedi. He extended one of his gauntlet blades and struck. Darogun spun and blocked the blow, his insane eyes gleaming menacingly as he snarled and shoved Falcan back.

The assassin flipped and landed on his feet and looked at the Jedi. Revan had been right; he was a skilled duellist, probably better than Revan. Falcan scoffed and shot forward his blade cutting into Darogun's lightsaber. The blade crackled as it met the cortosis weave of Falcan's blade. As if on impulse Darogun used the force to hurl a large chunk of rock at Falcan. The assassin broke the saber lock and slashed the stone in half. He barely had time to move as Darogun nearly dissected him with a ferocious follow up blow.

Darogun's insanity acted like a part of his incredible power. It gave him a means to an end. While he was not quite in Revan's league in terms of pure power, he was the next step down. Darogun raised his hand and more chunks of rubble lifted off the ground. With a flick of his wrist, the large pieces of stone rocketed towards Falcan. The assassin flipped, ducked, rolled and cut his way through the barrage of stone. Cleaving the final rock in two, Falcan raised his arm-blade to catch Darogun's blade and shoved the Jedi back.

Falcan used his mastery of Teräs Käsi to force the Jedi to block and dodge his attacks. He swiped his blade through the air, Darogun leaned back to dodge then was immediately forced to lift his leg to avoid the assassins attempt to kick his legs out. Falcan's other blade shot from his gauntlet to stop Darogun's follow up blow and he kicked the Jedi back. Darogun once again used the force to hurl Falcan back, but the assassin drew two blaster pistols from his waist and unleashed a storm of energy at the Jedi. Darogun expertly guided his blade through the air deflected each of the blaster bolts away as Falcan hit the ground before rolling back onto his feet and dropping his blasters.

"You will have to do much better than that Sith Scum!!" The Jedi howled at him. "I will not betray the Order so lightly."

"Good I wasn't expecting you to" Falcan replied standing up and cracking his neck. As Darogun made to move forward, a knife flew out of the darkness behind Falcan. Darogun split the blade in half and looked up to see Juno now standing next to Falcan.

"This is no ordinary Jedi" she stated. "He's more powerful than most of the ones before" Juno drew two small swords from her back and spun them in her hands.

"Glad you could make it" Falcan replied as he stood next to her. "Let's take him down" Both assassins shot forward and Darogun snarled in feral rage as they came at him. Darogun battered away Juno's blow, before ducking Falcan's kick. He brought his blade up to catch the two gauntlet blades and pushed Falcan back. Juno came at him again and began striking at him with incredible speed and skill.

Darogun moved his blade across his body to catch one of Juno's and raised his leg to avoid her other blade. Swinging his blade down, he forced her to block it with both her own. He kicked her to the ground and she again blocked his attack before kicking him back. Juno kicked up and struck again. Darogun parried but she leapt up and above him. Darogun whipped his head up seeing nothing. He looked back down with a gasp and saw Falcan beneath him. With a sickening sound of steel ripping through flesh, Falcan leapt up and sliced him through the middle landing behind him on one knee. For second the Jedi simply stood still for a second

"It's over…" Darogun muttered before falling back, his saber clattering to the ground. Falcan straightened up and looked back at the corpse. Juno picke up the lightsaber and chucked it to her partner.

"One less Jedi to worry about" she said. Falcan remained silent for a second before nodding.

"We had better report back to Revan" Juno looked at him and went to speak.

_That next moment was the worst in my life. That was when my days as a Sith ended._

All of sudden a blaster bolt ripped through her chest. The world moved in slow motion after that, it was like time had stopped. Falcan's eyes widened as Juno slowly fell to the ground with a look of pained surprise marring on her beautiful face. Falcan looked up to see a dark Jedi standing behind them.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Falcan demanded. The Darksider smirked drawing his lightsaber.

"Lord Malak survived an ambush by the Jedi that has killed Lord Revan. He believes you are responsible" Falcan shook his head.

"Don't be a fool" he retorted. "We would never betray-"

"Enough!" the dark Jedi yelled charging forward. "You are a traitor and you will die!!" the second he reached Falcan he attacked. Falcan blocked his attack with his left blade, before slashing his arm with his right arm blade. Falcan spun as the Sith reeled in shock, and used his left blade again to slash the Sith's leg, causing him to fall to one knee before finishing him off with a final cut across the chest. Falcan let the body drop and rushed over to Juno, his blades retreating into his gauntlets. He pulled her round to face him seeing the wound in her chest.

"Juno?! Come on Juno stay with me!" she opened her eyes, coughing weakly. "It's ok…you're gonna be all right, just stay with me" she shook her head weakly

"It's too late…" she whispered tears falling from her cheeks. Falcan shook his head desperately, tears of his own falling from his eyes.

"No! Not like this…" he replied shakily "not like this…" she brought her hand up to his cheek, her strength draining quickly.

"Falcan…promise me…you will live, don't let… Malak kill you too…live on please!" she pleaded tears still cascading down her face. He nodded kissing the palm of her hand.

"I promise, beloved" he answered. He lowered his lips to hers and kissed her quickly and felt her smile softly through the kiss returning it with a slow, desperate passion. When he broke away, her cheeks were soaked with tears, her sniffs and sobs becoming weaker.

"I…love…you…" she managed before her hand fell from his cheek and flumped to the ground. Falcan sobbed slightly as he looked at her.

"I love you" he replied. She smiled one last time, before her final breath escaped her lips. Juno's eyes fluttered closed and her head dropped. Falcan shook her gently.

"Juno?" she didn't move. He couldn't accept it and shook her again. "Juno!!" she did not reply. He cradled her head to his chest and rocked her body in his arms as his tears fell onto her lifeless face. Falcan sobbed powerfully as he hugged Juno's body to him. Unable to keep it in any longer Falcan threw his head back and released a howl of agony. His voice echoed throughout the hall as he screamed his pain to moon and stars above him. He continued to howl through the night, sending the native animals running for their lives, fearing a new predator had come to Yavin IV.

In the morning Falcan stood over her grave. The place was marked with her two blades stabbed into the ground where he had buried her. Falcan still had silent tears falling from his eyes but he wiped them away. He looked at his hand, holding a necklace in his palm. He had given it to Juno, and now he needed it, just so he could remember her. He pressed it to his forehead for a few moments before taking a final look at her grave. Slowly he turned and walked away, as his swore to himself and to her memory he would live on.

* * *

Falcan stared into the fire, his eyes glazed over as the village sat in silence before he began to finish his tale. He ran his hand over his neck, feeling the necklace that had been Juno's and now was his only reminder of her.

"My loyalty had always been to Revan, and I knew there was no way I could go back with Malak in command." He raised his head. "I went to Coruscant, and became the bounty hunter I am today" he looked over at Berail. "I had only served Revan because I believed he could bring peace but I had grown tired of the killing. My loyalty to Revan kept me from leaving, but what happened to Juno had been the breaking point. I needed to get away from the killing, from the war and so I became a Bounty hunter." Falcan finished speaking and looked back into the fire. He closed his eyes and smiled sadly remembering Juno's words as they echoed in his mind.

_Promise me you will live _Falcan opened his green eyes and gazed over at Berail. "Does that answer you question?" the older man nodded.

"I'm sorry, I did not mean to bring up painful memories" he said. Falcan shook his head.

"No it's all right…" Falcan turned and looked at Bastila, who nodded and stood up along with Kazel and Brianna.

"It has been a long day…" she said. Berail nodded and looked at Ishale.

"Ishale, take our guests to their residences" Ishale nodded and Berail looked back at them. "We will speak to you in the morning…" he bowed to them as did a number of the villagers who had stood up. "Safety and peace to you my friends" the party nodded.

Ishale led them one by one to their homes for the night. Kazel and Brianna shared one of the small houses, while Falcan and Bastila had one seperately. Falcan was the last she turned in.

"I hope that this will suffice for tonight" she said as he inspected his room.

"It's fine…thank you" he replied. Ishale stayed for a moment. "Is something wrong?" She shook her head.

"I…well I just want to say…I'm sorry for what happened to Juno" Falcan sighed. "I know it was many years ago, but I know what it means to lose someone" Falcan nodded and looked at her for a second.

"You know…" Falcan mused. "you remind me of her a little bit. You have the same look in your eye as she did. That look of determination" she looked down sheepishly.

"I doubt I could ever be like Juno" Ishale replied. He knew she was trying to comfort him and appreciated it. "Good night Falcan" he smiled and bowed to her.

"Good night" Ishale bowed and left the hut. Falcan looked out over the forest for few moment before turning. As he fell into deep slumber, the forest seemed to hum softly as if to try and ease his pain with a soft melody…

* * *

_Hope you liked it. Thoughts? Good, bad? Reviews please!!_


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The early hours of the morning had set in over the forest. While it was still too early for the sun to rise, one could tell it was morning. The slow rise in temperature, the soft hums of the insects with the forest and the occasional high-pitched cry of the hawk-like bird that circled overhead. The hawk flew around the tree; occasionally landing and then emitting its shrill shriek, it would take off again. It was like it was calling for something or someone, as it soared over the trees.

From inside a cave that was high within the forest, the heat of fire could be felt as well as the light that could be seen from the cave entrance. Inside the cave, a man was sitting against the wall, his toned and athletic upper body covered in healing bruises and shallow cuts from his two weeks of torture. Revan shifted slightly against the wall, his eyes closed as he sat in a light slumber, his body still alert should anything happen. Revan twitched and then his cyan eyes fluttered open.

Revan eyes looked over the cave and a growl caught his attention. He shifted his gaze to his right and saw the animal that emitted it. A wolf, obviously a lone wolf since it was bigger, more muscular than most, and it was more aggressive. It watched Revan with its fierce yellow-golden eyes, and growled again as the Jedi looked at it. He observed the wolf for a second before taking hold of something burning over the fire and throwing over it to the wolf. The meat landed in front of the animal, and was promptly devoured by the canine. The wolf seemed satisfied and limped over to the former Dark Lord and sniffed his hand as he held it out. For a second, Revan allowed it too, noticing the limp and then looked down at its paw. He reached forward and the wolf snarled again.

Revan looked back at it and then again, more slowly this time moved to the paw. This time the wolf allowed him to do so, and Revan gently eased the paw over in his hand. The source of the limp was a large chunk of wood that was embedded in the creatures paw. He quickly made sure the wound was not infected and then carefully took hold of the wood and then yanked it out. The wolf whimpered as it was pulled out and then snarled once more as he released its paw. However soon after the wolf licked his face as a sign of thanks. He chuckled slightly as the wolf licked him and then the animal turned and bounded away out of the cave.

Revan smiled and leaned back against the rock. He hissed and shot back up again. He looked at his shoulder seeing a rather annoying cut in his skin that was impossible to reach and therefore for the time being impossible to heal. While Revan could heal the wound using the dark side, to do so would further his temptation to use it, and that was dangerous for him. Besides he concluded a bit of pain was worth the waiting until he got the inhibitor off, which he needed help to do. The former dark lord grunted in mild annoyance, got to his feet picking up the double-bladed vibroblade as he went and exited the cave, heading down towards a small lake that was being fed by a waterfall.

Reaching the lake, he propped the blade against a tree and washed his hands in the water, getting the dirt and dried blood off his hands and then splashed some water over his face to clean some of the muck off. Moving over to the waterfall, he stood underneath it, allowing the powerful cascades of blue cleansing liquid to hit his body and hair, and to relax his tense muscles. Revan leaned his back slightly allowing more of the water to hit his face before leaving the waterfall. Walking back over to where the blade was, the sound of flapping wings against the air made him look up and he saw a large flock of birds take off. As the birds flew away, the sound of marching began to echo in the dark-morning sky.

Revan frowned and grabbed the weapon, before taking off into the forest. He ran up a steep hill, ducking under branches and hopping over logs to reach the top of the hill. He ran out onto the hilltop and looked over the edge to see something that made his blood run cold.

It was an army, a small one but an army nonetheless. It was comprised entirely of human Sith followers. All of them were dressed in dark bronze battle armour, similar to the Mandalorians armour but without the helmets and they were all carrying blaster rifles, with swords on their waists. They marched without pause heading deep into the forest as Revan watched them. There were no True Sith with them, at least none that he could see and they were heading south. Revan immediately judged their direction and then his eyes widened as he recognised the forest. He had been here before. Revan looked up hearing the hawks call again and held out his arm.

After a few moments wait, the hawk flew over to him and landed on his arm. The bird seemed to chirp slightly as it looked at him and Revan placed the fingers of his left hand over its talons and tapped along his forearm making a message. The hawk watched him do so, memorising the finger patterns. As Revan finished, the bird nipped his finger softly as if saying it understood and then Revan moved his arm forward as the hawk took off flying south towards its destination. He watched for second as the hawk flew into the distance before turning and pelting down the forest heading in the same direction. He had to hurry.

Bastila emerged from her small hut dressed and ready, looking refreshed and alert as she stretched in the morning sunlight. The bed within her hut had been surprisingly comfortable and had soon wooed her into slumber the night before. As she finished her stretch, she noticed Brianna standing outside as well looking over the forest. Brianna's light blue eyes were narrowed and looked alert and cautious as she took in the view of the trees. Bastila frowned and moved towards her.

"Brianna?" the younger woman looked at Bastila and smiled. "Is everything all right?" Brianna's smile vanished and she looked back over the forest. Bastila stood next to her and gazed at her for a second.

"Something is coming…" Brianna breathed. Bastila reached out with her own senses. There was something, something dark and twisted coming towards the village. "It's like a wave of darkness moving across the air. An evil that chokes the light, I can feel it" Brianna looked back at Bastila for a second before descending onto the forest floor to join Kazel, who was meditating. Bastila continued to watch the forest as the feeling Brianna had pointed out began to grow deeper.

Ishale was training on her own, going through the fluid movements of Teräs Käsi, her soft amber eyes focused and her deep black hair tied back. Her body moved gracefully through the air as she changed from hand movements to leg movements like it was a second nature to her. She finished with a spectacular butterfly kick through the air and then stopped. Taking a moment to catch her breath, she straighened up and walked over to one of the ranks and took a sword from the rack. She proceeded to perform a series of skilled moves with the blade, ranging from normal, basic attacks to altering her grip on the hilt to change the angle of the blade. Performing two standard upward blows she turned to bring the blade down behind her.

To her surprise the blade impacted on another metal object. Falcan stood there, his right arm raised with his wrist gauntlet blocking the blade. Ishale felt her breath catch slightly and her stomach fluttered a little as his soft green eyes gazed at her. He smiled and inclined his head towards the sword.

"You have some skill with a blade" he stated calmly. Ishale lowered the sword and looked down sheepishly. Falcan chuckled slightly and held out his hand. "May I?" she nodded and gave him the blade. Falcan looked the blade over for a few seconds before swinging the blade up and then down. He proceeded to spin the blade around his body in a masterful display of skill and then finished with the blade held in a reverse grip behind his back. He turned back to Ishale who was watching with interest. "When you wield the sword, you tend to grip the blade very tightly. This restricts how effective your attacks will be as it tires you very quickly." He said holding the sword to her. She retook the blade and listened to him. "Hold the hilt firmly but not overly so, enough that you keep hold of the blade and manipulate the weapon with your wrists and hand more than your arm. That way you can get quick and damaging strikes in and also defend yourself more effectively." Ishale nodded and tried out his theory, firmly holding the blade, but not as firmly as before and spun the blade around her hand once. To her surprise, she found her attacks were indeed quicker and less taxing than before as she skillfully weaved the blade through the air as Falcan watched her for a second. She stopped once more with a downward blow that caused a small cloud of dust to lift up off the ground.

"Won't this sacrifice some of my reach?" she asked as she straighened up. Falcan nodded and retook the sword from her.

"Yes to an extent. But you gain more power and speed, while retaining stamina. If you can outlast your opponent: you win." He walked over to a training model used for hand to hand combat. "On the other hand if you keep your blade held in such a manner…" Falcan slashed through the wood, spinning round to face her and straightened up. For a moment nothing happened, and then a small slice appeared in the wood and it fell into two pieces onto the floor. "You can perform moves like that…" he walked back over to Ishale and handed her the sword as she looked amazed. "You may sacrifice reach, but in return you can use your speed. That is your key weapon, which I noticed when we sparred" Ishale nodded once more and replaced the blade on the racks.

"Did you train like this when you were with the Sith?" she asked. Falcan smiled and they began to walk back into the village.

"Not exactly, bit more focused on hand-to-hand than it was blade combat. And it was far more intense shall we say" he replied. She frowned as they walked re-entered the village.

"Intense?" He paused and looked at her. His eyes were gleaming slightly and she found herself slightly intimidated by them.

"The training was brutal and rigorous. Every day of training pushed us to our limits. If we weren't sparring, we working on physical conditioning or being trained to resist Jedi mind tricks. The training was designed to hone our bodies and minds for when we fought the Jedi. I mean Sev, who was often considered to be the lowest in terms of skill in the Shadow Walkers, was still able to take on up to twenty men by himself" Falcan's eyes stopped gleaming and they returned to their normal deep shade of green.

"I see…" Ishale stated and she smiled slightly. "Perhaps your time in the Sith was not as bad as it could have been." Falcan raised an eyebrow and then smiled with amusement. "What?" Ishale asked confused.

"It's just…I never thought of it that way" Falcan replied. As they entered the village they saw Berail standing with a group of young men, looking ready to go on a hunt. Berail turned to them and bowed to Falcan.

"Good morning" he greeted. Falcan gave a bow in return. "sleep well?" Falcan nodded.

"Better than most nights" he replied. Berail laughed jovially and smiled.

"Well we were about to go on a hunt for breakfast. We would…" a high-pitched shriek caught his attention and Berail looked up. Soaring towards him was a hawk and it was coming at great speed.

Berail held out his left arm and the hawk landed on his wrist. The hawk seemed to tap its talons along his forearm and Berail's eyes narrowed. As he deciphered the message, the other members of the hunting party gathered around him. Berail nodded and tapped the hawk on the claw and the hawk gave a shrill cry before taking off back into the air. Berail turned to his party.

"Get the women, children and elderly to the tree huts." The party nodded without question and hurried off to carry out their orders. Falcan frowned and looked at Berail.

"What is it?" Berail looked over the forests on the outskirts of the village before looking at the former assassin, his grey eyes narrowed.

"The hawk is used as a means to deliver messages between different villages within the forest. The hawk I just sent away, told me there was an army coming our way, an army of Sith worshippers." Falcan looked over the forest and then back at Berail. "It was only a matter of time until they came again in force, but with you here it seems planned" Falcan looked down and Berail put his hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry they would have attacked us without you being here, so do not feel it is your fault" Falcan nodded and Berail turned to climb up onto one of the walkways. "You had better get your friends onto the walkways." Falcan nodded and jogged away with Ishale to find Bastila and the others. After a few minutes searching Falcan found them on the forest floor.

"Hey we've got to get on the walkways" Kazel frowned and got to his feet, as did the others.

"What?" Falcan didn't have time to go into full details.

"Sith are coming, we need to get off the forest floor now" They all looked at each and nodded as Falcan contacted Canderous. "Mandalore"

"Yeah?" came the raspy voice of Mandalore.

"We got a problem…"

"I know…I'm heading into the forest now with HK, T3 is still on the ship. We'll be at the village soon. I picked up a huge collection of life forms heading your way" Falcan nodded as he climbed onto the walkway. Typical Canderous, he can never resist a good old-fashioned fight.

"Yeah. The Sith followers have an army and are going to arrive any minute. Once you get here, get onto the walkways in the trees"

"Got it. We'll be there soon" Falcan tapped his communicator and walked along them to find Berail standing with a blaster rifle looking over the forest. "Are they close?" Falcan asked Bastila. Bastila closed her blue-grey eyes for a second and then reopened them and they glowed purple for a split second before returning to their normal colour.

"Yes, the Sith are just to the north of us, Canderous and HK to the east. Canderous will get here just after the Sith." Berail looked back at them, his eyes strong and determined.

"It matters not." Falcan looked at him. "Even if the Sith get onto the walkways, we have the advantage: elevated position, knowledge of terrain and element of surprise." Bastila took her lightsaber from her belt Kazel and Brianna following suit. Falcan kept his eyes trained on the forests around him. Ishale moved to stand next to Berail, a rifle in her hands. For a long stretch of time, nothing moved, not a sound. Not even the forest betrayed any noise. No birds, no animals barking: just silence.

Then from the mist of the forests the sound of cautious footsteps began to echo through the trees. Berail gave a small signal and all the armed warriors of the village levelled their blasters at the approaching squad. Berail gave the sign to fire only on his command and they waited patiently. It was an entire squad of men obviously well trained. They slowly entered the ground village, keeping a wary eye on the surrounding forests. They were talking inaudibly and the watching warriors carefully kept their aim on the soldiers, who spoke beneath. Berail waited patiently his finger quivering on the trigger.

Suddenly a loud blaster shot erupted from a rifle and the first soldier fell the other soldiers stumbling back. Berail's eyes snapped to Zeven, who had fired and he had a malicious grin on his face as he fired on the second taking him down as well. The air was soon ripe with blaster rifle fire, as the Sith followers fell one by one but took no one with them despite firing back. Bastila and the others could only watch as the Sith fell. Berail gave the signal to cease-fire and rounded on Zeven who had a triumphant smirk on his face.

"You were supposed to wait for my order boy!" Berail snarled. Zeven scoffed.

"If you had waited any longer they would have left…" Zeven retorted. "Is it patience or cowardice?" Berail seized Zeven by the scruff of the neck and hoisted him off the ground.

"The reason I was waiting was to judge their strength and how long it would take them to…"

"Berail…" Berail turned to Falcan, dropping Zeven onto his feet. Falcan had his eyes set on the distance and Berail followed his gaze. Berail's eyes widened to see a huge number of Sith followers emerging from the forest and they were charging towards the village. "It seems Zeven's pre-emptive strike allowed them to judge our force strength" Falcan stated. Berail growled and called to his warriors.

"My brothers and sisters! Show these Sith the consequences of trying to take our home!" the warriors around them all roared and began firing in powerful volleys of energy towards the charging Sith army who were returning fire. As the Sith began to pour into the village some were able to reach the ladders but were promptly shot to the ground as they began to climb. The Sith returned fire against their assailants, and some of the warriors fell from the walkways down to the forest floor, either dead or soon to be. As the battle began to intensify, some of the Sith began using the force to leap onto the walkways.

Falcan turned to see one Sith soldier on the walkway next to him. Falcan kicked the rifle from his hand, then spun and kicked back onto the forest floor headfirst. Falcan quickly ducked under a swing at his head from a second soldier and inclined one of his wrists slightly. One of his gauntlet blades shot out of the armour and he caught the man's hands and slashed him through the waist. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Canderous and HK join the battle, quickly climbing onto one of the walkways and they began blasting the surrounding Sith soldiers, HK expressing his enjoyment at having the chance to blast some "meatbags". Letting the body drop, Falcan rolled forward cut a mans' leg out from under him and then laid his chest open with a follow up attack. Falcan turned to see more soldiers joining them on the walkway. Falcan brought out his second gauntlet blade, his green eyes gleaming and he prepared himself as they charged.

The battle was fully joined now; warriors and soldiers were locked in combat, either shootout or in hand-to-hand or melee combat. Bastila, Brianna and Kazel had joined the fray defending key positions of the village and were quickly making dents in the enemy numbers. Warriors began to fall too as the battle raged on for a few hours, but they still held the advantage as Berail said they would do.

Bastila caught one of her opponents' blades with her golden saber. She spun round him and drove her blade through his back. Igniting her second blade, she shocked the soldier behind her and quickly spun, cleaving him in two with her other blade. Whirling her dual-blades in storm of gold, she spun round taking down an extra three Sith in one blow, and then used the force to hurl their bodies into their allies who were approaching her from the bridge. As the men fell, Bastila almost casually waved to her right and all the Sith flew off into a tree before hurtling down to their deaths. She spun her lightsaber in hands, deflecting blaster bolts away from her and her allies, reflecting them towards the people that fired them.

Kazel drove his viridian double-bladed saber through the gut of an attacking Sith. He spun pulling his first blade and drove the second through another Sith. A third in front of him brought their blade down, but Kazel parried the vibro-sword with first blade and quickly brought the second round to slice him through the midsection. Quickly dashing forward, he backhanded the soldier to his right, causing him to topple over the side, and ran a final one through. As he withdrew the blade, a blaster bolt ripped through his shoulder. Kazel roared in pain and looked round at the one who shot. Allowing his anger freedom, Kazel unleashed a barrage of force lightning on the man, sending him sparkling to the ground. Kazel straightened up and kicked the Sith off the ladder beneath him and sent him crashing into his allies, Kazel watching them from above, his saber growling in the air.

Elsewhere Brianna shielded Berail, who hurled his opponent off the walkway, from a blow with one of her shining sliver blades, using the second to catch a blow aimed at her. She spun knocking the attackers off balance, twirling a blade and struck both down with a fierce blow. Using her Echani training she flipped over a third, slicing him down the spine and then spun kicked another into the wall and then he fell over the railing. Next to her Ishale caught a man's arm and drove her elbow into his throat. Taking the sword from the dying man, she stabbed his comrade through the gut and slashed it out of his body to catch a second one beneath the shoulders.

The battle was quickly beginning to favour Berail and his warriors, despite the losses they were taking. However just as the Sith soldiers began to flee a new threat began to advance in the wake of their retreat. Falcan cross-cleaved the final Sith warrior in front of him and turned to look over the field. The ground was littered with the bodies of Sith and warriors but as he looked up he saw something else approaching. Berail too looked and his eyes widened further.

As the Sith followers were fleeing, a collection of menacing looking warriors were approaching. They were dressed from head to foot in golden armour and had what looked like blood red streaks on the shoulders and down the center of their armour. All of them were carrying blade weapons: vibro-swords, daggers, double-blade swords and they marched without fear towards the weary village protectors. Zeven hefted his rifle and fired at the leader. The blaster bolt just seemed to bounce off the armour, which glowed red for a split second and away into the treetops.

"Oh no…" Berail breathed. "The Leviathan troops" Brianna frowned and looked back at the advancing soldiers. "They are the elite units. They are in a completely different league to the other Sith, even Revan had trouble with them when he first fought them." Berail noticed some of his warriors descend the ladders and charge the Leviathan troops. "NO!"

As one of the protectors approached the lead warrior easily parried the first blow, and impaled him on his sword. The man was lifted off of his feet and then kicked off of the blade into a hut. The second protector lost his arm to a first brutal blow and then his head was severed from his body and fell lifeless. The final man was seized round the throat and hoisted into the air before his neck was snapped and his body was dropped.

Falcan growled and vaulted over the railing and landed in front of them, he was quickly joined by Bastila, Brianna and Kazel and the four stood in front of elite Sith. Four members of the elites stepped forward each brandishing a different weapon, one a single blade, another two blades, the third a double blade and the final a lance like weapon. For a second nothing happened and then the new battle was joined, as the elites charged.

Kazel ducked under the first blow and ignited both his blades. He spun to strike at the mans back and then his front only to have both blows blocked, and then angled his blades to try and rip through the mans defence. But the warrior's single blade was there each time to block his blows. Kazel was backhanded across the face and he spun ready to defend himself.

Brianna blocked both swords of her opponent's and quickly back-flipped away. The troop was on her in a second and she parried two blows and followed up with one of her own. The attack was blocked and she moved to slice his chest, only to be denied once more and she quickly had to resort to deflecting his strikes. She ducked under a swipe at her throat and tried to take his head. The man locked his blades with hers and they began to struggle against each other.

Bastila leapt over her opponent, and calmly deflected a first stroke, returning one only to have that blocked as well. She used a powerful force wave to send her opponent into a tree and tried to run her through. The woman quickly spun away and Bastila had to alter the stance very quickly to defend herself from the counter-attack and they began duelling once more as Bastila held her ground.

Falcan moved to the side to avoid the lance like blade of his opponent. He quickly rolled under it and then side-flipped over a sweep at his legs. Falcan blurred forward and went to carve open the mans throat. To his surprise he felt his blades impact on the lance. Falcan felt himself shoved into the air and he quickly flipped onto his feet and slid between his opponents and kicked them out from underneath him. The man caught himself and propelled himself up onto his feet. Falcan was in front of him in a heartbeat and both his gauntlet slammed against the lance.

For half-an-hour the battle waged on as the Leviathan troops and the village protectors fought one another an equal ground. The new Sith troops were incredible in a dark and twisted way. They were stronger, faster and more cunning than anything the Republic could have mustered. Even the Sith assassins Kazel had fought seemed like child's play compared to this. As time went on, Falcan was able to find his opponents weakness, Bastila noticed an opening in her opponents defences and Brianna was able break open her challenges walls. Kazel on the other-hand did not have such luck.

Caught off guard by his opponent's skill, Kazel allowed his surprise to get the better of him and his usually intense fighting style became sloppy. Kazel felt his blade beaten down and received a knee in the gut. As he doubled over, the Sith slammed his hilt into Kazel's back and kicked him hard in the face sending him sprawling into a hut. Falcan sliced through his opponent's waist, and saw the Exile's plight, as Bastila deflected a final blow from her opponent and spun ready to deliver the final blow.

"Kazel!" he shouted over but a new Sith blocked his path and Falcan hopped back to avoid the man's attack. Brianna noticed too just as she thrust her blade into her opponents heart but as with Falcan another member of the Leviathans attacked her and she was forced onto the defensive.

Kazel looked up from his spot where he had landed as the Sith charged him. His vision blurred slightly as the warrior raised his blade ready to deal the finishing blow. Suddenly from the shadows behind Kazel something shot through the leaves and impaled the charging warrior. The man fell, a double-bladed vibro-sword in his chest. Two other Sith troops charged forward without hesitation, one leaping up ready to finish what his dead comrade started. However a figure leapt out of the shadows and draw two knives, slicing the man through the chest, killing him in mid-air. The second did not have any time to raise his weapon as the new attacker drove both into his neck, forcing onto the ground as he landed, on one knee over his victim.

Time stopped, the world froze, as everyone realised there was a newcomer on the battlefield. All eyes had turned to him as he remained on the ground; his position and posture unchanged as his jet-black hair covered his eyes. Bastila, who had just stabbed one her blades through the gut of her opponent, stared at the new comer. The man's head and eyes turned to her and they were golden, a fierce Sith golden but she knew their true colour and the man who owned them. They could hear the man's breathing like a heartbeat in the air, as the Leviathan troops responded to the interloper.

Revan looked back from Bastila to Kazel who was still slumped against the wall. Revan's eyes narrowed dangerously and he turned to see more members of the Leviathan troop advancing on him. Revan gave a feral snarl, releasing his grip from the two knives in the body beneath him and back-flipped, kicking the dagger out of the hands of his new opponent and away into the air. Landing in front of him, Revan delivered a force-empowered kick to his opponent, crushing his solar plexus. As the man soared back, Revan crouched down taking hold of the charging Leviathan's leg and flipped him over himself causing him to land on his head. As he straightened up, Revan clotheslined a second would-be killer, causing his head to snap back and him to flip backwards onto his front. The third aggressor was able to seize Revan's head in a front face lock and tried to lift him. But Revan was able to counter the attack and reversed the momentum in order to suplex the man onto the ground with awesome force, breaking his spine over a hard root. Revan kicked up onto his feet and tucked his hand behind his back to catch the knife he kicked up early and then threw it into the leaders throat and the body crumpled.

The Leviathan troops quickly backed up as Revan took a couple of steps forward, his eyes gleaming. They all seemed to lose some confidence, but not all as they continued to try and size Revan up but it would not last. Revan looked at them for a second and then his body crackled with electricity, his entire body sparking. The Leviathan troops hefted their fallen leader and turned, walking away and leaving the battlefield, much to the shock of everyone.

Revan watched them leave his eyes turning back to their normal cyan colour. Revan suddenly growled and fell to one knee as a painful spasm jerked over his body and braced himself on one hand. Revan closed his eyes and allowed his pain ebb a little. A foot came into his view and he looked to see Bastila standing above him. Bastila knelt down in front him and for a long period of time they simply stared at each other, Bastila looking over his bruised and battered form. No words were spoken, none had to be. She raised her hand and cupped his check, smiling at him. Revan smiled back as the others watched from afar. Brianna knelt down next to Kazel who watched the two with a strange look as the couple shared their silent yet joyful reunion.

Presently Falcan approached Bastila and Revan and for a second the two looked at each before Falcan extended his hand. "Good to have you back…" Revan smiled and took Falcan's hand and was pulled to his feet, while Bastila quickly supported his weight. "Typical, we spend all this time looking for you and you find us…" Falcan scoffed. "Why do you always play the hero?" Revan smiled.

"Just so happens to be something I'm good at" Berail approached from the walkway ladder and looked Revan up and down with an almost fatherly gaze and an uncle like smile.

"I trust they treated you well…" He asked sarcastically.

"Yeah the food was good but service was lousy" they laughed at Revan's humour as the villagers began to emerge from the tree huts and began to see to the wounded, Berail moving off to aid the wounded Zeven, who took a blow to the shoulder during the melee. Revan looked around and suddenly groaned again as his body jolted once more as a result of a fierce spasm and he dropped to the ground, unintentionally taking Bastila with him. Revan got on to his knees as another fierce jolt of pain emitted from the inhibitor from his neck. Revan placed his hand on the inhibitor and received and electric jolt to his fingers.

Bastila heaved him onto his knees and looked at him worriedly. "Revan? What's wrong?" he indicated the inhibitor and Bastila turned to Falcan, who also noticed it. "Can you get it off?" Falcan knelt down behind Revan and looked it over.

"Yes…but it's gonna hurt" He looked at Revan who simply nodded and reached into his belt to pull out a small device. He found the lock and pressed the button of the device and a small thin blue beam began to cut away the lock. The inhibitor continued to send painful jolts down Revan's spine as Falcan cut off the lock. Eventually the lock clicked and the inhibitor fell from Revan's neck. Revan popped the joints of his neck very slowly and then got to his feet rubbing his neck and used the light of the force to heal his wounds.

Soon you could not tell he had ever been wounded. Revan stretched and looked over to where the Exile was slumped against the wall. Revan made his way over followed by Bastila and Falcan. Kazel looked, his vision re-focused to see Revan standing over him. For a moment neither said a word, finally Revan extended his hand towards Kazel with a smile. Kazel raised an eyebrow and then smiled as well taking the offered hand and was pulled to his feet. As he got to his feet, Kazel looked at Revan and the two men shook hands in a silent yet mutual sign of respect before they turned their attention to the wounded within the village.

Later when the sun began to dip beneath the horizon leaving a faint red glow to the sky, Revan stood in the hut he was now sharing with Bastila, looking out at the rain that had been falling since sunset. He was redressed in clothes Bastila had brought from the Ebon Hawk and was leaning against the wall next to the window, which without glass allowed the sounds of the falling rain to reach his ears unhindered. As he did so, he felt a hand slip into his and Bastila's head rested on his shoulder.

"I missed you…" Bastila whispered as together they watched the rainfall against the leaves.

"I know…" Revan replied quietly. "I missed you too…" she turned to face him and the look in her eye was distant.

"Why did you leave alone?" She asked looking at him with pained blue-grey eyes. Revan sighed; he knew that would have been the first question she would ask. And he turned to look her dead in the eye.

"Because I did not want to risk putting you in danger" Bastila listened to him carefully. "I don't want to lose you Bastila…" Bastila sighed taking a deep-breath and Revan felt himself caught completely off guard from her next movement.

Bastila's hand rose and swiped through the air and planted a hearty slap across Revan's face. Revan staggered slightly, his hand touching the place where she had slapped him and he looked at her but smiled roguishly.

"I deserved that…" he muttered. Bastila huffed indignantly.

"Yes you did…" she hissed angrily, hands on hips and her eyes angry. She approached him. "You're an idiot Revan" she smiled lovingly and kissed his cheek where she had slapped him. "But you're a well meaning idiot. And that's how I always want you to be…my love." Bastila leaned in, cocking her head to the side as her lips met his, her arms wrapping around his neck to deepen the kiss. Revan smiled through the kiss and pulled her in order to add more passion to the moment.

For a brief moment they broke apart, but Revan began to explore Bastila's neck with his lips. Bastila cooed as he kissed her neck with an open mouth and the couple fell as one onto the bed.

The couple continued to share their blissful tryst as the rain continued to batter against the leaves off the forest and a gently and almost romantic beat to the atmosphere that the forest had become steeped in.

* * *

_There you have it. Good? Bad? Reviews please!!_


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Bliss is a strange thing; humans do not understand it but know when they are feeling it. It comes at times of great happiness, of pleasure or joy. To feel the presence of something or someone important that grants you a feeling of peace whenever they are near. They make you feel whole, like nothing could go wrong and everything is perfect. Is that Bliss?

Is that what so many people strive for, this feeling of bliss? Of being whole, wanted perhaps needed by others. Or is it more personal than that? Was to experience bliss simply something of pleasure? Perhaps no one knows the answer so they can't answer, or perhaps everyone knows the answer but simply cannot find the words to describe it.

Was bliss what she was feeling now? Bastila could only wonder, as she lay asleep in the early hours of dawn. To know Revan was back with her, back in her life where he belonged, this was her idea of bliss. To have the man who she loved, who had saved her from death, from darkness and from herself right here with her, this was bliss.

Bastila shifted in her sleep as the rain, which had continued all through the night, continued to pound against the roof. It had provided something of a lullaby for the couple the night before, and had allowed Bastila to finally have her first untroubled sleep since Revan had left. The rain continued and Bastila snuggled into her pillow content to sleep longer into the day.

As she finished getting comfortable, she felt a familiar set of lips caress her neck. Bastila smiled as the lips continued to kiss down the right side of neck and then up to her back. She cooed slightly as the kisses trailed down her spine until finally leaving her skin at her lower back. She groaned slightly as she felt Revan's warmth leave the bed and she tried to fall back to sleep failing miserably. As she lay, feigning sleep, hoping it would get Revan to lie back down next to her, she heard a distinctive sound from the window and found herself enchanted by it.

It was humming: Revan's humming. Revan had a hypnotising voice, whether he spoke or hummed. Revan continued to do so for a few minutes, his melody blending in with the rainfall, to add to the hypnotic power of his voice. The soft tune of the humming continued to awaken Bastila's senses, and her blue-grey eyes fluttered open and she turned her head on the pillow to see Revan, sitting on the window frame, his left leg dangling over the edge, his right foot propped on the frame and his soft tone continued to enchant the world around them as Bastila watched him with a smile.

Bastila propped her head on her arms as she gazed at Revan, who continued his soft morning habit as the rain continued to fall. Revan's jet-black hair fluttered slightly in the wind as a breeze blew gently through the window and he remained where he was finishing his tune softly. Bastila actually giggled slightly as he opened his eyes with a smile and turned his beautiful cyan eyes to her and they twinkled slightly. "Morning…" she breathed as Revan remained where he was, his eyes never leaving her face.

"Morning…" he returned with a playful tone. She grinned slightly and his head turned away as she got up and slipped a robe on. She came up next to him and brushed her hand through his hair.

"Anyone ever tell you, you could be a singer with that voice of yours?" she said as she ran her fingers through the strands of his hair. Revan closed his eyes for a second with a smile and then met her gaze with his own, mischief sparkling within them.

"Only you princess" he replied. Rolling her eyes in mock annoyance, Bastila shook her head and kissed him, her other hand brushing against his cheek. They broke apart and Bastila was grinning again.

"Saviour…"She giggled again slightly and kissed him on the cheek, before gliding away into the shower room. Revan chuckled slightly and looked back out at the rain.

He had not failed to notice how Bastila seemed to be more herself when it was just him and her together. When they were with others, she was careful not to over show her affection for him, only calling him by her nickname for him: Saviour. While everyone else thought this meant that he saved the Republic, between him and Bastila, it meant something else: the fact he had saved her from the dark side. Revan closed his eyes as the painful memory of battling Bastila on the Star Forge played through his mind.

Shaking his head, the former Dark Lord got to his feet and began to move towards the remainder of his clothes, a form-fitting white long-sleeved shirt and a black waistcoat with leather gloves. His two lightsabers having been returned to him by Kazel lay next to his clothes.

Suddenly something happened, something bad. Revan suddenly clutched his chest and fell to his knees. A hot powerful searing pain had just torn through his body. It was like a flame through wood, burning through his nerves like hell-fire, setting every-single nerve-ending ablaze. Revan struggled to breath the pain was so strong.

Revan coughed and some of his own blood splashed onto the floor. He looked at it in horror and then realised what it was that was causing him such agony. It was a disturbance in the force, but this one had been so strong it was actually causing him near crippling pain, which meant it was close by. Revan convulsed again and more blood hit the floor. Revan was still struggling to breath, he couldn't feel anyone else respond in the way he was.

"Bastila!!" he cried from his position, slumping slightly, still clutching his heart. The door from the shower room literally flew open and Bastila, now fully dressed, emerged from the room. In horror, she shot to his side as he coughed again, but the pain began to slowly die down, definitely slower than he would have liked.

"Revan?" Bastila murmured. Revan was finally able to catch his breath as Bastila sent a soothing pulse of force energy over him. "Revan what is it?" she asked as he slowly sat back on the floor. Revan rubbed his forehead as the pain began to ebb a little quicker with her help.

"I just felt a disturbance in the force." He replied, he winced, as the pain seemed to increase in irritation at his revelation. "Like some terrible darkness as it slowly, strangled the light into nothingness". Bastila frowned troubled.

"I didn't feel anything," She stated, reaching through the force and feeling nothing. "Are you sure?" he nodded, realising being more in tune with the force here, he would naturally be able to feel things she would not.

"I'm more attuned to the force here…that's probably why…" she nodded and supported him as he leaned forward slightly, still in obvious pain.

"What was it?" she inquired.

"I don't know…" Revan answered truthfully and his eyes slowly turned to her. "But whatever it is…it's not good." Revan groaned again and Bastila helped him up and into a chair, as Revan continued to feel some strange darkness in the air.

A man walked through the dark corridors of a sacred temple. He was dressed in completely black armour, with a red cape billowing behind him. He walked through the numerous passages, many guards posted around him as he continued his journey. Presently he reached a large double door and stopped for a brief second, as if debating whether or not to enter. Taking a deep breath, he pushed the doors open and entered a throne room.

The room literally swam with the dark side, occasional ripples of energy fluctuated through the air as he approached the throne at the end of the room. However the figure he sought was not seated on the throne, rather he was standing looking out of the window, his large powerful and scaly hands clasped behind his back, as his vine-like tail whipped through the air. The figure was around 6 feet 8 inches tall and was very powerfully built, even more so than most of the True Sith and he was dressed in a lavish dark red tunic, with golden shoulder pads. He simply stood calmly as his tremendous dark power caused the air to become thick with energy.

The man reached the foot of the stairs leading to the throne and knelt down, one hand on his heart. "Greetings…Grand Sire…" The Sith turned his head slightly, and his glowing red eyes took in the view of the man and he leered before turning back to the window.

"Commander Arkham…how did your battle go?" His voice was very deep and powerful, with a sense of unnatural strength underlining every word. The man gulped slightly as he gave his answer.

"We were driven back your honour, their strength was true great." The Sith listened carefully as the man continued the story. "We had the advantage of numbers but there were unforeseen obstacles" the Grand Sire turned and looked at the man.

"Obstacles?" he inquired calmly. Arkham nodded.

"Yes…the outsiders. They wielded those energy swords that the heathen have and killed over two thirds of my men, including some of the Leviathan troops" The Grand Sire nodded and sat on the throne.

"I see…it is no matter…" The Commander frowned and the Sith smiled. "I always have another plan, another option. Our friends have already made it to the town the outsiders stayed at previously." The Commander nodded.

"My lord…forgive me, but do you believe that two people can truly match them." The Grand Sire frowned. He was rarely questioned and those who did often had good reason.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"The outsiders, Revan has joined them and there are two others who may now pose a threat" The Commander took out a small hologram and began playing the images of the battle in the village just the day before. The Grand Sire saw an image of Kazel blasting a soldier with force lightning and then watched as Kazel began to slaughter half the soldiers who confronted him.

"I see, yes he could become a nuisance." He muttered. "And the other?"

The hologram began to show footage of Falcan cutting his way through numerous warriors before playing back him defeating a leviathan troop. The Grand Sire smiled evilly and nodded.

"I see, the Exile and Falcan." He muttered. "Yes even from here I was able to rip their identities from Revan's mind." He chuckled evilly. "It is no matter, the Exile will be of no hindrance and Falcan of little concern."

"But my lord…this Falcan, he was an assassin" Arkham blurted out. "In less then two minutes, he took down twenty of my men and he stood up to the Leviathan troops like they were nothing." The Grand Sires' smile grew more evil by the second.

"Do not worry Commander, I know of Falcan's past and he is nothing more than a thorn in our side that will soon be taken care of." Arkham frowned. "Now Commander go back to your troops and prepare them for departure, and do not concern yourself with Revan and his friends, they are no longer your problem" Arkham bowed his head and got to his feet as the Grand Sire began to laugh with sadistic pleasure.

Kazel circled round as Falcan kept his pace the same as Kazel's. They circled each other as Brianna, Ishale and a number of trainee's watched with interest. The rain had stopped falling by this point and the sun was shining through the treetops.

Kazel suddenly rushed forward, towards Falcan. Falcan caught the fist aimed at his head, and replied with a backhand that in turn was caught. Spinning, Falcan dropped attempting to kick Kazel's legs out only for the Exile to leap over the attack. Landing, he turned and aimed a spin kick at the former assassin who ducked under it and replied with an axe-kick, which was caught. Using his strength, Kazel hurled Falcan onto the floor. Spinning onto his back, Falcan kicked out Kazel's feet and they two now lay on their backs.

Both kipped up onto their feet and began aiming blows at each from all angles. Kicks, chops, punches, knees and forearms thrown at blinding speed, speed those watching could not follow. Kazel aimed two kicks at Falcan right side, one lower and the other higher. Falcan blocked both blows with one arm, and then leaned back to avoid an outer crescent kick with the same leg. He used both hands to slap down a follow kick, and caught his opponents left arm.

Kazel ducked Falcan's follow up hook punch and caught his other hand only to be kicked in the stomach. He rolled under a powerful spin kick and caught Falcan's other leg as it came round and aimed a straight punch at his face, which was caught. Grunting he jumped up and kicked Falcan in the chest, back-flipping onto his feet and landed both men standing opposite each other. Both men smirked and straightened up finishing the training session.

As they exited the ring, Bastila approached walking towards Falcan. Falcan noticed and inclined his head to her. "Revan needs to see you Falcan" Falcan raised an eyebrow at her words.

"What'd I do?" he asked in mock worry, earning a couple of sniggers from Kazel, Brianna and Ishale.

"It's not what you have done, but what he needs you to do" Falcan immediately got her meaning and nodded, all playfulness gone from his voice when he next spoke.

"Got it." With that Falcan moved past Bastila and headed towards her hut as she joined the others. Bastila turned to Kazel with a troubled look.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Have you felt anything in the force? A disturbance?" she replied. Kazel shook his head.

"No" She turned to Brianna.

"Have you?"

"No, why? What has happened?" She asked. Bastila frowned and looked back at Falcan who was climbing onto the walkway.

"Revan just felt an extreme disturbance in the force. It was powerful enough to force him to cough up some blood and to force him to his knees" Kazel and Brianna looked at each other as Ishale looked at Bastila with worry.

"Is he all right?" she inquired. The former Jedi nodded.

"Yes he's fine but I feel something strange now. Revan felt something and now I think I can feel it too" They all fell into silence as the forest began to chime around them.

Falcan entered Revan and Bastila's hut and saw the former dark lord looking out the window, his arms folded. Falcan's mind flashed back to the time on the bridge before his final mission and he smirked slightly. Revan was fully dressed now, his lightsabers attached to his waist in their trademark X fashion.

"Are you all right?" Revan turned to see Falcan behind him and nodded.

"Yes, but I felt something strange coming from the town outside the forest." Falcan waited patiently as Revan paused. "I think something has happened…"

Let me guess…" Revan turned back to his friend, who was smiling knowingly. "You want me to check it out." Revan smiled, Falcan knew him too well and nodded.

"Yes…take Canderous with you. Go to the town and see if anything is wrong" Falcan nodded and turned to leave. "Falcan" He stopped his back to Revan. "Watch your back." Falcan chuckled slightly and gave that signature response that Raven had come to expect.

"Since when have I ever disappointed you?" And with that Falcan left the hut, leaving Revan to his thoughts as he gazed out over the forest, troubled thoughts running through his mind.

Presently Falcan and Canderous were walking through the forest, ducking under branches and stepping over roots as they headed down the path towards the town. Both alert yet still having a casual conversation.

"If you ask me, Revan's just being a bit paranoid" Mandalore stated as they carefully navigated through the forest. Falcan chuckled.

"What's make you say that?" he called back.

"Well he's just escaped from the reptiles right?" Reptiles referring to the True Sith, "so he's bound to be on edge, maybe he's finally letting the power get to his head" Canderous chuckled as Falcan joined in.

"No if he did that we'd all be dead"

"Apart from the princess," The mandalorian pointed out.

"Yeah apart from the princess" Falcan replied and both began laughing again. However the laughter died down as they came out into a clearing just before the town and immediately both men became business like.

The two looked over the town and automatically something struck them as not right. Canderous clicked his rifle's safety off as Falcan looked over the town with troubled eyes. The roads they could see from where they were standing were empty. Not a soul was walking, or even moving in the town. The only movement was the dust being blown up by the wind, which glided across the area in front of the two.

"Not even a stray dog to greet us…" Falcan muttered, his eyes scanned over the town and his body switched to alert mode, as did his senses.

"The smell of death is ripe in the air…" Canderous replied as his armour's sensors picked up nothing from the village. "Can you smell it?"

"This whole place reeks of it" Falcan answered taking a step forward. "Canderous, the house we stayed in…" The mandalorian nodded.

"I'll go check it out" Canderous suddenly seemed to slowly vanish as his stealth generator activated and presently Falcan could've sworn Canderous was no longer in existence. Turning back round, Falcan entered the town.

The alleyways, marketplaces and generally every road he walked down were desolate. Not a person, no essence of life made itself known, no voices, no footsteps, just the wind howling through the air. Falcan stopped and looked round the buildings, walls, market stands everything.

Images flashed through his mind as he took in the view of all the structures around. No plasma scoring, no rubble and no any other indications of battle. Had the Sith attacked in force, the roads would be littered with bodies and would be flooded with the blood of innocence. No the images that flashed through his mind suggested the more subtle approach, perhaps more the artful way in a twisted manner. The kills in silence, the state of being something that did not exist: either assassins or a mass weapon used.

As he thought his communicator beeped. "Yes Canderous?" he asked as he lifted the device to his mouth.

"I'm in the house you stayed, the woman, Myleena she's dead" Falcan closed his eyes painfully. "But there's a problem"

"What?" he asked, keeping a trained eye on his surroundings.

"There is no indication of what killed her. No bruises, no wounds, nothing. Whoever or whatever did this is a trained killer" Falcan nodded.

"All right Canderous get back to the village and report to Revan, I'll follow as soon as I'm finished here".

"Got it" The communicator beeped and Falcan continued to move through the town silently still with no signs of life.

It was like death itself had decided to pay the town a visit. It was like it had come to take people to their afterlives early. Myleena was one of them, much to Falcan's regret. What could have done this? Falcan would learn soon enough.

Walking down another back alley, Falcan spotted the body of a young man in the courtyard. Keeping in the shadows, he moved up for a closer look and observed his surroundings. Nothing, not a sound, it was like the entire inhabitants of the town had just migrated in mass to a new home…or the afterlife. Emerging from the shadows, Falcan knelt down by the body.

There was no bruising, or any entry wound, blade or blaster-bolt would have left such a wound. The man seemed oddly at peace, almost as though he had seen it coming, his eyes closed as if he were sleeping. Falcan sighed and shook his head regretfully, whoever had killed him was after the outsiders: Bastila, himself, Kazel and Brianna. He looked around at the courtyard and again noted that there was no plasma scoring and looked around at the ground.

That was when he noticed it; something on the man's right cheek that was turned towards the dirt. Frowning Falcan reach forward towards the body's face and turned it so he could see the man's cheek. In a twisted yet artful way, a line had been cut into the man's flesh in the form of a single letter: S.

Falcan's eyes narrowed instantly and he looked round once more as his mind became much more alarmed and his senses reached out trying to find any who might try and take his life. Sensing and seeing nothing, Falcan's eyes closed.

Now he knew what had caused the death of the entire town. The people who had left no sign but a carving in the man's flesh, a crude symbol of their work. Only one group of people could have possibly committed such an act of mass-murder without drawing attention to themselves.

Falcan's eyes opened slowly and when they did, they were gleaming in a similar manner as they had done when he was working for Revan and the Sith. This collection of people had been his allies, his friends and his family until the incident at the temple and the death of his beloved Juno. From his mouth, only two words were uttered, like some distant memory that he had repressed and had now been reawakened, when in truth he could never forget the four individuals who had been his family.

"Shadow Walkers…."

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_What do you think? Good? Bad? Reviews please!!_


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

_Sorry about the somewhat slow update, I was finishing my other story off._

_Anyway here's the next chapter enjoy..._

* * *

Chapter 11

Falcan rose from the body of the man he had found. He ran his hand over the S carved in the man's cheek and grunted, looking around to observe his surroundings. As he thought, no plasma scoring, no blood, not even a disturbance to the ground around him, only the Shadow Walkers could have possibly pulled that off. His deep green eyes gleamed for a split second and a sinister smile formed on his face. While he never truly had any love for killing, he did always harbour a great enthusiasm for fights that pose a challenge. He knew that this would provide a good challenge and he would enjoy it.

Looking around, he ran up to the wall and jumped up to propel himself off it, flipped forward, and landed on the roof. Getting to his feet, he looked around, carefully taking in every detail of the town before taking a running leap onto another rooftop, where a doorway lead into the building. He didn't lose a step and continued walking right after he landed, the wind sweeping through his hair. He glanced around and found what he was looking for.

There was a knife embedded in the wall, Falcan scoffed and walked over to the knife. Looking over the weapon, it's blade still stuck deep within the wall, Falcan felt a look of disgust mar his face. Taking hold of the hilt he yanked the blade out and looked it over.

The hilt was a golden red colour with black lines going up the center. The blade itself was twisted and black, not like other blade weapons. The shape was different; the blade was slightly curved backwards instead of straight like other daggers. It was the signature knife weapon of the Shadow Walkers. Falcan lowered the weapon to his side and looked over the town once more, his hair billowed as the wind howled past him.

"You never did understand the meaning of subtlety," he muttered as his eyes gleamed, his leather-clad hand tightening around the blade. "A good assassin, ensures no one sees his work unless absolutely necessary" he looked round towards the horizon and grunted with a smirk. "You always liked to put on a show"

Falcan remained watching the horizon, his eyes slowly closing as the sun beat down on the ghost town. As he stood, a silver aura began to envelop his body, slowly turning into a silver flame. Then his eyes snapped open and instead of their normal deep emerald colour, they were a piercing green. Falcan smirked once more and leapt from the rooftop, the silver flame became a silver slipstream as he made his way back to the forest.

* * *

Revan paced in the village, as the trainee's continued to work around him. He didn't pay them much mind and continued. What was taking Falcan so long? Canderous had returned quite quickly to report that Myleena was dead but the former assassin had been gone for over two hours.

Shaking his head, he kept in mind that Falcan had been away for days at a time before, and had returned unharmed every single time, even when he faced a Jedi. A little recon trip would be no trouble for him. He sighed in something close to helpless frustration, Revan looked around for something to keep him occupied.

He didn't like the way he was feeling: useless. While he could have gone to check out the town himself, his senses weren't as honed as Falcan's despite having the Force at his disposal. Either way, he had to wait and that was not something he was good at. While he did have patience, he needed to know what happened, and until he had the answer, he would not be satisfied.

Looking around, he saw Kazel sitting at a workbench in one of the huts. From what he could tell, the Exile was working on something of importance, judging by the look on the Exile's face. Making his way over to him, Revan was surprised to see Kazel's old double-bladed lightsaber sitting, empty and useless on the surface beside its owner. He was busy installing the viridian crystal into a new single blade lightsaber which Revan took a great interest in.

The hilt looked almost regal in appearance, as if it were reserved for only the most graceful and powerful of the Jedi. The hilt itself was a light silver, with lines of black running up the sides and golden bands of electrum were circled around the top and bottom of the hilt. But the most striking thing of the hilt design was that it was curved slightly, giving the hilt a more elegant appearance.

Revan recognised the design very well. It was one his Master Kriea had used when he was her padawan. The hilt design was best suited for the practice of Form II: Makashi. This duelling based form was a formidable style, using a combination of speed, power, precision and elegance to defeat opponents, sometimes the user looked as though they were dancing because they were so relaxed. Revan had fought many Makashi practitioners in the Jedi Civil War, one of them being Malak, who was undoubtedly, the most skilled Makashi duellist of the Jedi Civil War. Revan smiled slightly and leant against the wall behind Kazel.

"If you don't mind me asking…" Kazel jumped slightly and turned to Revan with a faint look of surprise "why are you building a new lightsaber?" The Exile looked at the almost complete weapon and returned to his work as Revan waited.

"That lightsaber I took with me when I thought I could rule the universe" Kazel stated indicating the old saber with his head. "It's forever tainted by the blood I spilled. A new one would signify I am genuine in my quest for redemption and that I don't desire a false salvation." Revan nodded with interest as Kazel finished installing the crystal and closed the hilt. Standing up, Kazel thumbed the ignition button and the brilliant viridian blade emerged from the hilt. Revan watched as Kazel performed the Makashi salute, bringing his blade in front of his face and then swung it down to his side, forming an X in the air. He deactivated the saber and Revan nodded.

"Impressive, not many people could build a curved-lightsaber hilt that quickly" Kazel smiled and the two began walking through the village. "And sometimes in order to redeem your soul, you must cast aside the tools you used." Kazel stopped and gazed at Revan for a second. "It's not over yet Exile, this is just the first step" he nodded and cleared his throat.

"Revan what did you do?" Revan frowned not getting his meaning. "How did you set about redeeming yourself?" Revan sighed and looked out over the forest for a second before replying.

"First of all, redemption wasn't my choice. It was forced on me more than anything else. When I found this out I was angered and hurt." Revan looked back at the Exile. "I didn't choose redemption and perhaps I may never have done, if I hadn't been captured by the Jedi. I wanted to create a strong capable Republic through conversion, not annihilation. Remember what I said in the Mandalorian Wars? Who I am is not important, but my message is" Kazel nodded. "But to answer your question, I tried to help everyone I could. My compassion got the better of me sometimes, as I was very eager to help people in need."

"Is that a problem?" Kazel replied as the sun shone through the treetops. Revan shook his head with a laugh and looked at the Exile.

"Do you not remember Kriea's first teachings on giving people aid?" when he received a frown as a reply, he continued. "While giving aid is a good and decent thing, you should truly only give it in its proper place. Sometimes it results in the person you helped being ill equipped to deal with the struggles ahead of them. Sometimes it's best for a person to be self-reliant so they can prosper on their own" Kazel saw the wisdom in Revan's words and nodded.

"I see…" he thought for a moment and then quickly changed the subject back to their previous one. "Do you regret helping the people?" Revan shook his head.

"No, I feel better knowing I did some good, even if it was only short term." Revan looked away for a second. "Being self-reliant can only get you so far though…" the Exile felt confused as Revan had contradicted himself.

"What do you mean?"

"Sometimes for me, especially after I found out whom or more correctly what I had been, I…began to doubt myself" The former dark lord's cyan eyes glazed over slightly. "As a result I was prone to…become angry or frustrated easily. When I was trying to rescue Bastila from Malak, I…almost fell to the Dark side again on Korriban. Bastila was the only thing that kept me from falling back into its grasp" he took a shaky breath. "I found that I needed to rely on someone other than myself, someone I was close to, who understood me perfectly. That person was Bastila." He looked up at Kazel who stood listening with interest. "Bastila saved my life twice: first on the bridge of my ship when Malak nearly killed me, and then on Korriban. The first time she admitted she hated me, but felt compelled to save my life. The second she wasn't even aware she had done, until I told her what happened." Revan laughed dryly. "Isn't it ironic? That the Jedi consider love to be a path to the dark side and in fact, it helped keep a Dark Lord of the Sith from falling back into the shadows. Bastila helped save me and her presence in my life, keeps me from truly succumbing to temptation". Kazel digested the information carefully.

"So you're saying that if you're with someone you know you can trust and understands you, you help yourself in your redemption, yet at the same time you must rely on yourself?" he said and Revan nodded. "A strange theory, yet it seems to have worked for you…"

"And it can work for you Kazel, if you let it…" Revan replied. "Brianna can help you, but you must let her in. Something you haven't been doing. If you rely solely on yourself and not on others, then you'll quite possibly just end up falling all over again". The Exile nodded in understanding and looked around.

Then something strange happened, a breeze blew through the village. It surprised everyone, even Revan and Kazel who weren't surprised by much due to their experiences during the Mandalorian Wars. The wind howled through the village, the leaves rustling above them and some of the huts groaning due to be battered by the wind.

"Where did this come from?" Kazel wandered aloud as he and Revan looked around. Revan's hand had drifted to the back of his belt, where his lightsabers were placed in an X shape.

"I don't know, but it's not natural" His cyan coloured eyes narrowed dangerously as he looked around, and Kazel held his new saber in inactive in his hand.

The wind continued to howl around them and then slowly they heard approaching footsteps. Revan took the Mantle of the Force from his belt and the silvery blue blade snarled out of its hilt. Kazel's viridian blade slid into existence as both men turned to face the intruder. Both men stood ready and tensed as they waited for the new arrival. Revan's eyes narrowed further as Kazel's watched calmly for any sudden movements.

"Put those away" They flinched as the form of Falcan emerged from the shadows. In a sense he was living to his name as a former shadow walker but something was different. First was his eyes a piercing green and his voice was filled with a hidden power and was almost like a growl. Revan noticed the change in his aura as well. It was darker and more sinister than usual, something that troubled him.

"What did you find?" Revan asked getting straight to business. Falcan grunted and drew something from his belt. He spun it in his hands and held it out. Revan's eyes narrowed once again as he saw the knife in his friends hand. He took and turned it over in his hand. "Is this what I think it is?" Falcan only nodded and looked away. "Wonderful" Revan muttered as Kazel watched confused.

"What is it?" he asked. Revan handed the knife back to Falcan, who re-sheathed it on his belt. He was completely unable to comprehend the change in Falcan's behaviour and was even a little intimidated by it.

"How long since they were here?" his question was ignored as Falcan turned back to the former Dark lord.

"A couple of hours, maybe more" Revan nodded and growled in frustration. "Everyone in the town is dead. The man I found had an S carved into his cheek" he looked back up at the former assassin and saw the fire in his eyes.

"Great, so it's him…" Falcan only nodded. "What are the odds he's after both of us, or maybe the three of us" Revan indicated his head to Kazel.

"Pretty high…" Falcan replied. "We had better make our move soon" he turned and began to leave. "The longer we stay here, the more people will die" Falcan walked away as the other two were left in silence.

"What's going on?" Kazel asked. Revan turned to him and his expression was grim.

"That knife was once the weapon commonly used by the Shadow Walkers." Kazel frowned recalling Falcan's story of the assassins he had once been apart of. "I personally thought they had all died after the war, well apart from Falcan. But it seems I was wrong." He looked away. "This isn't good, especially since it's Zev who killed the entire town"

"Zev?" Kazel replied in further confusion.

"Zev was the last recruit into the Shadow Walkers and he was by far the worst of them in terms of bloodlust. More than once he killed someone for a mere insult, but he was good at his work. While nowhere near Falcan's league in terms of skill, he knew how to get the job done but always left a sign of his work, an S carved into the skin of his victim, meaning Shadow Walker." Revan turned away. "If there was ever an embodiment of the word psychopath then Zev's a living definition of the word"

"I don't understand" Kazel answered. "Falcan has killed numerous Jedi in his time, but what makes Zev that much worse?" Revan turned back to him.

"I'll show you…" without warning Revan placed his hand on Kazel's head and a bright white light blinded the Exile's vision.

_Kazel looked around finding himself in a completely different place Revan was beside him and he was looking in front of him. The place was dark and dank, a strange howl every so often would echo past them. He realised they were standing in a room, and the walls were covered in blood and singed with blaster fire._

_He turned as he a door opened behind and the forms of Falcan and Juno entered the room. Falcan looked over the scene in disgust and Juno had an ashamed expression on her face. A strangled cry and the sound of metal piercing flesh caused the Exile to turn back around and that's when he saw it. His stomach knotted and his mouth opened in horror as Revan's eyes watched neutrally._

_Behind them was the body of a young man covered in slashes and gashes from head to foot. The man's eyes were a lifeless white and blood was oozing from his mouth. His throat was cut and a blade was embedded in his heart. Above stood another young man and his eyes gleamed with insane glee as he took in the form of the dead man and looked over the woman who was also dead, her clothes covered in blood and tattered on her shoulders and legs. An evil chuckle escaped from his mouth and he turned to the Exile who finally got a look at his face._

_His eyes were dark brown and his hair was dyed red. His left eye had a strange tattoo covering it, look slightly like a flame. He was slim and athletic in build, under normal circumstances he would be considered good looking. He was dressed in black leather and his belt had numerous knives attached to it. A blaster pistol was holstered on his thigh and he had a malicious grin on his face. This was Zev_

"_Proud of yourself?" Falcan growled as he looked over the carnage. Zev looked around and shrugged._

"_Just part of the job" he muttered, his voice light and almost cheerful. Falcan's deep green eyes narrowed dangerously and he got into Zev's face._

"_This wasn't part of the mission," he stated as Juno stepped forward holding on his arm keeping him back. "You were only supposed to take out the senator, not murder his entire family!" Falcan looked over into the corner and Kazel felt horror mar his features as he saw the corpses of two children one boy and one girl, who couldn't be any older than nine. "You call this part of the job?!" _

"_They saw me as I completed the objective" Zev replied in that same cheerful voice. "I had no choice but to take them out as well, even if the method was a bit…extreme" Juno felt her mouth open in disgust._

"_Extreme? You murdered innocent children…that is not our way!" she looked over at the children feeling a tear slip from her eye. "They had nothing to do with this, neither did their mother. How're you going to explain this to Revan?" She demanded._

"_Revan? He doesn't need to know" Zev stated calmly moving past Falcan. "I'm sure he feels their pain enough as it is even though he doesn't know what happened, since he saw his mother raped in front of him" Kazel looked at Revan in shock, who's eyes were filled with pain but he shook his head and the Exile turned back to scene._

_In a flash, Falcan's entire demeanour changed. His eyes simply snapped into that intense piercing green as his head turned to the murderer. He grabbed Zev's arm, spun him round and sent him careening into the wall with a vicious backhand. Zev held his jaw before flinching when Falcan's gauntlet blades crossed over his throat._

"_Falcan!" Juno exclaimed, grabbing his shoulder. "No! This is not the way to solve this. Let's get out of here before the guards return" Falcan looked at her for a second before lowering his arms, the blades retracting back into the gauntlets._

"_You pull something like this again and I'll kill you in ways you can't imagine" Falcan snarled. Zev looked at him and then stalked past him and exited the room, dropping from the balcony outside. "He makes us all look like monsters" Falcan muttered. Juno nodded regretfully and the two quickly followed leaving the bloodbath behind._

Kazel shook his head as he returned to the real world. Revan's hand lowered from his head and he was met with Revan's intense eyes. "Falcan told me that after the mission, Zev used any excuse to kill anyone in his way. While Falcan and the others removed obstacles out of necessity, he killed all in his way, even children." Kazel felt like he wanted to be sick. "As Falcan said, he made the Shadow Walkers look like monsters. He's a murderer, nothing more, nothing less"

"So what do we do?" Kazel asked. Revan shook his head.

"Right now, we need to get off this planet, and we're going to make sure Berail and his people are safe, even if they have to come with us" With that Revan turned and walked back towards the village leaving Kazel no choice but to follow very quickly.

As they began to plan their next move, the darkness of the shadows continued to spread…

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_Reviews please!! good? bad? _


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

_This is quite long just to warn you._

_Enjoy._

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Chapter 12

The threat of the Sith had just become ever more dangerous, now that Revan knew the Shadow Walkers were among the enemy ranks. The Sith were bad enough, but to have quite possibly the most infamous group of assassins since the Great Sith War against you is not the best thing in the universe. The Shadow Walkers stopped at nothing to ensure that their targets never saw the light of day again.

What was worse, not only were they after him, but also Falcan and Kazel. More disturbing was the fact Zev had done it without leaving any trace behind. Revan's thoughts continued to swirl darkly inside his head as Berail argued the situation with the village elders.

Revan had hoped to keep his loved ones out of the battle with the True Sith. He felt foolish to have even tried; they had followed him here and now were caught up in the struggle. He sighed exiting the room and moving to the balcony where Falcan was standing with his arms folded. Falcan's deep brown hair fluttered in the wind as he looked over the forest.

"How are the negotiations going?" Falcan asked though he already knew the answer.

"The elders are refusing to leave. They have agreed to hide underground but will not abandon their home. Understandable really" Revan replied. Falcan gave an "hmmm" in reply and turned to walk away as Berail emerged from the hut looking very frustrated.

"They're refusing to leave, despite the threat to our people," he declared angrily. "They are too caught up in the old ways, we need to move our people so the Sith do not find us again, but they will not allow it" Revan sighed as Falcan simply stood with his back to the both of them.

"What about the warriors, what do they want to do?" he asked.

"They want to fight. We would gladly give you our aid, even should it go against the village council" Falcan turned to the older man, respect glowing in his emerald eyes.

"Careful old man. This is not a hunting expedition nor is it fighting the Sith's lackeys. The Shadow Walkers are far beyond that" Berail huffed.

"Nevertheless, any help you need I'm sure many of our warriors will provide it." Falcan chuckled dryly.

"Well I applaud your courage, though your intelligence remains in question" With that Falcan descended the ladder and made his way to the hut where Kazel, Bastila, Brianna, Canderous and HK were currently reviewing the situation. Revan shook his head and turned to Berail.

"Any help you could provide would be greatly appreciated." Berail nodded.

"I have a map that may be of use to you. Meet me and my party in the assembly hut at midday" Revan nodded and Berail left to gather the map and anything else he might need. Revan sighed once more and looked over the forest.

Midday came faster than he would have liked, especially since it meant that he could be endangering more lives. Revan and his companions entered the assembly hut, where Berail, Ishale and the other hunters were gathered. All of them were armed with rifles and swords. Berail looked up and approached them.

"Good, you're here, come quickly" Berail brought out a map and spread it across the table. From the looks of it, the map seemed to show the position of everything of importance in and out of the forest. He pointed to the map carefully as Revan stood next to him.

"What do you have for me Berail?" the older man placed his finger on the map. His finger was pointing at a small-housed shape square quite far outside the forest in an easterly direction.

"This here is a sith outpost. They use it to bring supplies, troops and anything else they need to this planet. We've raided it a few times before, for weapons." He pointed to where the village would be on the large piece of parchment. "The village is here and we can get there by coming out of the forest and going along the mountain terrain here," he pointed to the central area on the map. "I know that you wish to leave here as soon as you can, so my hunters and I wish to accompany you. However I know your ship isn't enough for all of us. I know that a ship of suitable size is kept within the outpost." Bastila stepped forward.

"So your plan is to raid the outpost, steal the ship and get off the planet." Berail nodded.

"It would be impossible to approach the outpost in a ship, we would be shot down long before we reached the it, and so the only way is by foot. If we can slip in undetected we can steal the ship, but first we would have to disable the security systems that control the hanger shields and also the defence systems." Kazel looked over the map.

"But the journey is extremely long, we could never make it in time on foot, by the time we got there the ship could have been moved." Revan stepped away and looked over the forest, a plan forming in his head.

Bastila looked at him for a few seconds as he thought. He leaned on the window frame as the hunters and party all watched him. She approached from behind and gazed at him for a long moment. She didn't have to see his face; she knew how his mind worked. He always had a plan, even in the most impossible of situations; he always seemed to pull a scheme from somewhere.

"I know that look…" she stated, Revan's head turned slightly as she spoke. "I don't even have to see your face and I know that look" he smiled slightly as she nodded. "You want to run the surface, get to the outpost and take the ship, so we can escape to a different planet. You also plan to send me, Brianna and Canderous on the Ebon Hawk should the plan fail so we can pick you up of anything goes wrong." He turned to her and she saw the look his eye and knew she was right. "You're going to use yourself as bait, ever the hero" She smiled knowingly and he looked at Kazel. The exile only nodded giving his agreement with the plan. Revan then turned to Falcan, but didn't even have to ask for the man's opinion he already knew Falcan would follow him.

Revan stepped up and began looking over the map carefully, Falcan doing the same. They was memorising every little detail, every route and every path that could lead them to the outpost. As he did this, Berail looked over at Revan and nodded in approval of his plan as the hunters talked amongst themselves.

"Keep at the same speed, stay in the daylight, ahead of the night." He nodded once more as the hunters stopped talking. "We could make it" Falcan straightened up having finished looking over and turned to Revan. Revan could see the gleam in Falcan's eyes and knew what he wanted to happen. He nodded and the former dark lord turned to the hunters.

"There's going to be one speed: mine" the hunters looked between each other slightly taken aback before looking back at him. "If you don't think you can keep up, don't step up. You'll just be left behind" with that Revan turned and exited the hut to gather his equipment. Falcan smiled knowingly and turned to leave.

"We'll leave soon be outside quickly"

A half an hour later, three quarters of the hunting party previously gathered was outside the hut and ready to move. Including Revan, Falcan and Kazel this made 16 runners. Revan finished clipping both his lightsabers to his belt as Bastila approached him.

"Are you sure about this?" she asked softly. She knew she couldn't change his mind; he was just as stubborn as she was at times. He nodded carefully.

"Yes, and I know you'd like to be running the surface with me but I need to know that I will be picked up if anything goes wrong. And you can do that" she nodded calmly knowing he was doing this his way. She carefully approached him and cupped his handsome face as they leant their foreheads against each other. This was Talravian tradition from Bastila's home planet. It was a symbol of an unbreakable bond between two people. They stayed in the pose for a few seconds and then she lowered her hands and looked in his eyes.

"Be careful, my love" she whispered. He nodded and brushed his hand down her cheek.

"Always am…" she smiled and turned to follow Canderous to the Ebon Hawk. Brianna watched her leave and turned to Kazel who was behind her. She was unsure of what to do and he noticed this. He approached her and carefully placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Don't try anything too dangerous," she said. He laughed.

"No promises there, Brianna" she smiled and gently leant up to kiss him. For a second she kept her lips on his and then pulled back.

"I love you…" she breathed.

"I love you too…" he replied and then looked up at Revan who nodded. "Now it's time for you to get on the ship" she nodded and quickly kissed him again before hurrying after Bastila. As Brianna vanished from view, Falcan emerged from one of the huts.

His left arm was concealed in a black cloak, only his hand being visible, and he was dressed completely in black attire. He wore a black muscle shirt, black leather trouser with boots and of course gauntlets that concealed his dangerous blade weapons. He looked over at Revan who nodded once more getting ready and then at Kazel who simply looked back at him with a determined gaze. The hunters all seemed ready, Ishale and Berail nodded to him as Revan took a step past them. Falcan and Kazel were quick to start following him.

"Let's move!" Revan called to them, and quickly broke off into a run. The hunters, Falcan and Kazel were quick to follow as he led them deep into the forest. The former Jedi ducked under branches jumped over roots and slid through gaps as he set the pace for them to follow, which was considerable to say the least. Falcan, Kazel, Ishale and Berail had little trouble being able to match his speed, but the others in the group were hard pressed to keep up. For the Exile it was a simple matter of being able to use the force to increase his stamina. As they kept running they heard the distinct sound of the Ebon Hawk rocket above them and they looked up in time to see it shoot past them and into the sky with a roar.

Focusing back on Revan, they picked up the pace as they moved through the forest heading for the open and rocky terrain. While they would usually have stopped to admire the natural beauty of the place, the pretty flowers, the towering trees and the vast species of wildlife they had little time to respect the nature as they shot through the forests.

Falcan ducked under a branch and jumped up to grab a thicker one to swing over a large root. Landing he crashed through the underbrush at blinding speed. Kazel stopped for a second to allow the hunting party to pass him and took up the rear in order to catch any who would stumble or lose speed.

As they came out of the forest into the sunlight, the soft feeling of grass underfoot quickly changed to hard and unforgiving rock. Around them, geysers were scattered all over the terrain, some exploding water into the air. The heat of the area was fierce, intense and overbearing but the water vapour caused by the geysers and the wind that howled over the rocks gave the runners some relief as they continued to chart their course over the mountainous terrain. Kazel had to catch some of those who fell and healed them with the force or used his water supplies to help re-hydrate them. Falcan jumped up to a large rock, ran along and leapt back down to be just ahead of Revan. With him in front, they descended into the volcanic plains

The run had already lasted a few hours but the party had lost track of the time they had been running. For some of the hunters it felt like days. All of them were astounded by the former dark lord's ability to run for such an extended period of time.

Revan's raw physical conditioning was incredible. Even for someone as powerful and as skilled in the force, his stamina was amazing. Falcan and Kazel easily kept up with him, but the hunting party was hard-pressed to keep up. They were by no means lacking in stamina but they had their limits and they were no matches for the three they were running with. Ishale and Berail had an easier time, Berail being able to pace himself and Ishale being young and energetic. They made their way over the stony path as they moved towards the outpost.

Presently Falcan, who had been leading for half an hour, dropped into a small ravine closely followed by Ishale and Berail. He slipped through the narrow gaps and winding turns as the others tried to keep him in their sight. After Falcan, Ishale was in the lead closely followed by Revan and Berail as she moved through the maze of granite. She looked to where Falcan had been heading and to her surprise, she couldn't see him.

"Falcan?" she called as she continued to run through the ravine. As she navigated through the labyrinth, her surprise began to turn to panic as she failed to spot the former assassin. "Falcan!" she shouted again, panic evident in her voice. She ran faster and further trying to find him and then wound up coming face first with a dead end. She looked around defeated as Berail and the others caught up. "Falcan…" she breathed, thinking he had rushed on ahead.

As they stood catching their breath and trying to think of a way out of their predicament, the wind howled above them and whistled through the canyon. The occasional sound of an explosion of water accompanied the wind, as they stood defeated.

Then it occurred to them that something else was in the wind as well. A flapping sound, like a soft material was being battered unmercifully by the gust as it screeched around them. Ishale slowly looked up out of the ravine. Above them, with a smug smile on his face, was Falcan, his foot resting on a small ledge as he looked down at them. The cloak over his left arm was flapping in the wind. He raised both his hands and gave a gesture with his fingers that could have easily been him saying, "Keep up if you can". Falcan suddenly whipped around and began sprinting ahead as the others leapt up to climb out of the dead end and catch up with him, Revan and Kazel gave boosts to the party as they climbed up. Ishale was the first one out and saw Falcan moving swiftly. With a smirk, she pulled herself out of the ravine and sped off after him as the others resumed the run as well.

Ishale was determined to catch up and was beginning to close the distance between them. She had taken up his challenge and was going to keep up with his pace. She followed his movements exactly as he picked his path carefully, jumping over small gaps and sliding down slopes as they neared the objective. As she ran, she noticed Falcan pick up the pace before leaping, gracefully over a large lava pit between one ledge to another and he landed, not losing a step as he continued his race. Ishale followed suit and vaulted the distance just as he did. But as she landed, one of the rocks underneath her gave away slightly. She gave a startled cry as the rock crumbled and she fell backwards towards the lava.

But as she slipped away, her outstretched hand was caught by another and she felt herself hauled back onto the surface by the former assassin as he had quickly turned back to catch her. She caught her breath before looking at him "Thank you" she offered, he nodded before jogging on ahead.

"If you want to make it a race, all you had to do was ask," he said playfully as he hopped up a small slope before turning back to look at her. She watched as Falcan smiled that same smug smile, but within it could be seen an enjoyment of being challenged. "Come on" he turned and slid down the slope as she leapt after him, while the others caught up, Revan and Kazel jumping over the pit to overtake them both.

The run continued like this until nightfall, the path long and straight while they kept themselves at the same pace Revan had set from the start of the run. They came to a large open field and quickly jogged along it. Revan suddenly stopped at the top of the hill. "Down!" he called to them as he dropped to his stomach. The others quickly did the same and he quickly crawled up with Falcan to the top of the hill. The two peered over the top and noticed what they had been searching for.

It was the Sith outpost. They could see the soldiers standing guard at the front gates and make out sentries and snipers on the rooftops. Every now and then a Sith fighter would take off and fly away into the night sky as the two watched carefully for anything that indicated the Sith knew of their presence. Satisfied they were hidden, Revan planted a friendly slap on Falcan's shoulder who nodded and kept look out as Revan returned to the others.

"The outpost is just over that ridge" he noticed the hunters were catching their breath. "We'll have to sneak in. Guards have the front entrance covered." Berail nodded.

"There's a back entrance we've used a number of times to get inside. I can show you where it is" Revan inclined his head. He looked back at Falcan, who was still looking over the ridge but knew he had heard the conversation. Revan turned back to Berail and nodded again. "This way" Berail took the lead, Revan close behind. As the party moved off, Falcan took a final look over the ridge and moved after them.

The party moved quickly and quietly through the grass towards the rear of the base. Berail led the way, his muscular frame hunched over to avoid detection. Slipping through the darkness they moved up to another small ridge and Berail ducked down. Revan joined him as the hunters gathered behind them; Falcan and Kazel came up to the top. Peeping over, they noticed one guard standing at the back door. He was obviously bored or simply tired as he lent on his rifle, his right side turned towards the party.

"Look at that. One guard all on his lonesome" Berail muttered. The party all sniggered and Falcan looked at Kazel.

"Relieve him Kazel. Quietly" The Exile nodded and slipped away into the darkness. The soldier was standing muttering to himself as he felt a presence behind him. As he went to turn around, he felt himself freeze suddenly and become surrounded by a blue stasis field. Unable to move or speak, he could only watch as Kazel emerged from the shadows.

"Evening" Kazel said with a mock bow. Slowly the guard felt his body shut down as his mind began to darken and his eyes slowly closed. The Exile caught the man's body as it slumped and moved it into the shadows. He straightened up for a second, thinking about what he had just done.

Morichro was a force power rarely used and for a very simple reason: it was lethal. Even though it was a light side power so to speak, it could potentially kill someone if misused. He contemplated that if he had desired, he could have easily killed the man and was somewhat reluctant to admit part of him still wanted to. He shook his head to relieve the dark thoughts, he needed to keep focused, and he could beat himself up over it later. He looked at the ridge the others were gathered behind and signalled that the coast was clear.

Berail slid down the ridge and approached the door and began getting to work on hacking the code as he done before. Kazel looked at Revan who nodded as Falcan kept an eye on the surroundings. Presently the door slid open and Berail turned around.

"Ok, just follow me. You three stay out here and keep your eyes peeled for trouble" the three hunters he spoke too nodded and disappeared into the shadows. Berail turned and slipped through the door, followed by the remainder of his party and Falcan. Kazel and Ishale were next as Revan came in last and shut the door with the force. Berail turned to him.

"I can lead you to the hanger, but we're going to need to shut down the security system." Revan nodded. "It's located in the computer console in the hanger security room. It controls the air defence systems as well" Revan quickly took the lead as the group moved through the facility.

Something was wrong. Kazel stopped in place and looked around for a few seconds as the others moved past him. Falcan stopped and turned back to him as Kazel looked back the way they came. "What is it?" Falcan asked. The Exile unclipped his lightsaber but kept it inactive.

"Something's wrong." Kazel replied as he began to walk past him. "No guards encountered, no security systems set off, what's happened to the personnel?" Falcan nodded, as Kazel broke off into another run after Revan. Falcan took another step forward, gazing at the corridor before turning and following the Exile.

Kazel had been right. There was no one in the facility, not a soul. It was almost like the town after the Shadow Walkers had struck. It was like death had decided to take all within the base to the afterlife. Revan had realised this too, he could only sense death in the air. The hallways were ripe with the stench, and he didn't like it. Or maybe. Revans stopped dead in his tracks as they came close to the hanger bay and realised what was happening. Berail stopped along with Ishale as Kazel and Falcan looked back over the corridor.

"They knew we were coming." Revan breathed. Berail and Ishale looked at each other. "Somehow they knew we were planning this"

"How?!" Berail demanded. "There's no way they could have known."

"I don't think it really matters." Falcan replied his deep green eyes were set down the far end of the corridor. "Because we've got company" Revan turned back to the corridor and saw four individuals head towards them. Kazel's violet eyes narrowed as four figures came into view.

Dressed from head to foot in black robes with pale faces and sickly golden eyes, four individuals stopped in front of them. From their belts hung lightsabers and their aura's were dark and bloodthirsty. Dark Jedi. The village warriors all raised their rifles and aimed at the Sith. Falcan gripped something on the back of his belt and tensed but Revan stopped him by holding out his arm.

"No, you go with the others. Kazel and I will deal with this" Falcan looked about ready to argue but thought better of it and nodded. Taking a few steps back, he eyed the four dark siders for a few seconds and quickly turned around and began walking past Berail and Ishale.

"Let's go. We'll only get in the way." The two nodded, Berail giving a hand signal to his men and they hurried up the corridor towards the hanger as Revan and Kazel stood before the dark Jedi.

"So Lord Revan, we finally meet face to face." The lead dark side stated. "After you killed Lord Malak, we were left without purpose. Now it seems we have re-found it." Revan took one of his lightsabers from his belt and held it a reverse grip, as he remained silent. "Our new master, the Grand Sire has promised us great prestige when we destroy you." Revan smirked.

For a moment there was nothing but silence, the six combatants staring at each other. Then the four leapt forward, their blood coloured sabers snarling into existence. Revan's cyan saber, the Mantle of the Force, _hissed_ out of its hilt and he neatly parried the lead dark Jedi's strike. Spinning round he caught the second man's blow and shoved him back. Raising his saber up and behind his back and deflected the leaders attempt to sever his spine. He spun, knocking his opponent off balance, at the same time, battering away the other man's lightsaber.

Kazel's viridian blade slid out of his new curved hilt and he took the opening stance of Form II Makashi, his left hand held out to the side, the palm facing the floor as the blade was angled diagonally down to the right. The two sith growled and charged as one. Kazel, in a masterful and graceful display of Makashi, moved his blade with only his right hand through the air, first to the left, then right then left again to deflect their attacks as they came. Turning round, he aimed two blows at one of his opponents, before raising his blade to deflect a downward strike at his head, and giving in return. He immediately settled back in the Makashi opening stance as the dark siders began to already grow frustrated.

"You only prolong the inevitable" the sith drawled as he spun his lightsaber in his hands. Kazel scoffed.

"Just because there are two of you, don't assume you have the advantage." He raised his blade in both hands, moving it left and right to catch two blows from each sith, before spinning his saber round in one hand to lock with both their sabers above his head.

Elsewhere Revan brutally tore through one of his opponents defences using his mastery of Djem So and his force empowered strength, before severing the man's arm. As he dropped he spun catching his remaining opponents attack, kicking him back before settling in a classic Djem So stance, his blade up and behind his head, while keeping his eyes on his opponent who took the opportunity to draw a second lightsaber. As he did so, Kazel spun his blade round parrying a stab, before running his blade through the chest of his assailant. Letting the body drop he turned and focused on his remaining opponent.

The four individuals continued to stare each other down, until growing impatient, Kazel's opponent attacked again. Revan noticing this charged his challenger and the duel was rejoined.

Outside the hanger bay, a couple of guards were standing, their rifles held at the ready as they waited at their posts. "Do you know what's going on?" one of the asked his partner, a twi'lik.

"No, his lordship asked that all personal be evacuated, but leave some guards to watch over the hanger." His partner huffed in annoyance.

"But what about that guy he sent here?" he asked, his voice became haunted. "The look in his eyes, it was unreal, almost primal don't you think?" He got no reply. "Hey! You listening?" he turned to see his friend lying on the floor unconscious. "What the?" he turned fully to see his partner. Suddenly a hand seized the back of his head and slammed his face into the wall. His arms dropped limp and fell to the ground. Falcan straightened up as the hunters came out of the shadows and Berail began tapping in the code to the console.

After a few moments, the door opened and the group stepped inside seeing the ship in front of them. It was a large shuttle, looked big enough to carry the party. The hanger bay was shielded from above, which was the only way out of the bay. Berail approached, as Ishale, who rarely saw anything like this, looked rather awed by it. Falcan gazed at the ship and nodded slightly, but looked unimpressed.

"It's not much, but it'll have to do" Berail stated. Falcan nodded again.

"Where's the security room?" Berail pointed towards a door on the left of the hanger. "I'll deal with the shield, you make sure this hunk of junk is flyable" Berail nodded as he and his party moved into ship. Falcan jogged up the corridor and quickly slipped through the door into the security room. The room was medium size and had stonewalls, it was littered with consoles all beeping and chiming as they monitored the bases systems. A window was in the left side of the room and was overlooking the grassy plans and the night sky. He looked over the room, deducing what each console was and approached the console furthest on the right.

With calm and precise skill, he began tapping on the buttons of the console. Hacking a computer all it took was time. Falcan kept his mind focused and calm as he carefully yet quickly tapped in the codes for the shield. After a few moments he heard the console beep and a slow groan as the machine shut down. Grunting in satisfaction, Falcan turned to leave.

The door suddenly closed as Falcan approached it. Falcan stopped but did not seem alarmed or even concerned for that matter. He gazed at the door calmly as if he were asking it why it had closed. Then the entire atmosphere of the room changed, the air became ripe with tension and bloodlust as Falcan remained standing where he was.

"Been a long time…comrade" a light, cheerful voice called to him from the other side of the room. Falcan didn't turn round, but his eyes flicked to look back over his shoulder at the man standing behind him, who was holding a knife in his hand.

Like Falcan, he was athletic in build though he was slimmer. He had deep brown eyes and dyed red hair, which was tied in a ponytail, and of course there was the tattoo over his left eye, that flame like mark.

"Zev" Falcan replied calmly, now turning round to look at the younger man, who was a year or two his junior. But that didn't stop Falcan being on guard, Zev was more powerful than he seemed.

"I died four years ago during the Jedi Civil, is that what they told you?" Zev asked. His former team leader scoffed.

"No-one told me anything I believed. I knew that you and the others wouldn't be killed or be discovered during the war" Zev chuckled and approached standing opposite Falcan. The former assassin stared down at the younger one who still possessed that same look of sadistic glee in his eyes.

"I never got to ask you this but, what happened to Juno? What happened on that final mission?" Zev inquired in a sardonic manner.

"Nothing _you_ would understand" Falcan growled. The younger assassin smirked as he noticed Falcan's eyes gleam threateningly. "Where's Arial? She shouldn't be too far away if you're here." Zev snorted

"She's on a different assignment with Caleb and Shalla. Volunteered for this one myself, though all of us wanted to take you down for the way you betrayed us." Zev's eyes glowed slightly as his face contorted into a snarl. "After everything we did for you, after everything that we had been through you would dare betray us!" Falcan shook his head.

"Revan was betrayed by Malak, and my loyalty was to him, not to Malak. I didn't betray anybody." He retorted. " And if I remember correctly I was the first Shadow Walker, you and the others came after me, and I helped train you" Zev viciously interrupted, his voice enraged with betrayal.

"Don't you dare turn this around on us Falcan!" He spat. "You were my idol, my older brother. I looked to you for help when I needed it, even after the numerous times you threatened to kill me" Falcan's eyes were hidden beneath his hair as he listened to the assassin's outburst. "You can't imagine what we went through after Revan's defeat. We served Malak as bodyguards and then we were forced into hiding. If you hadn't abandoned us when you did, none of that would've happened." Zev spun the knife his hand. "Now its time for you to repay the debt you owe us for your betrayal" Falcan didn't move, his fist was clenched and his jaw tightened. He felt that part of what Zev was saying was true, but at the same time did not wish to be held responsible for the hardships the Shadow Walkers had faced in his absence.

"Is…that…right?" Falcan's voice was a controlled snarl as the two assassins stood ready in front of each other. Zev cracked his neck as Falcan slowly lifted his head, his eyes closed.

Then his eyes snapped open and they were that fierce, piercing green. For a second nothing happened, but then the two leapt at each other.

Kazel ducked a swipe at his head from his opponent, the lightsaber blade snarling through the air as he avoided the blow. Spinning his curved saber around his hand, he elegantly parried a blow at his right before angling the blade down to catch his opponent's blade with his own. He powered the blade up and threw his hand into the Sith's face. The dark Jedi flew back at great speed, skidding along the unforgiving metal floor. With a feral howl, the sith charged him again, but Kazel was ready. First angling his blade to his left, he caught the man's blow before jabbing his saber into the man's shoulder. Then he stabbed into the man's leg, who fell to one knee and looked as Kazel drew his saber back in one hand. But Kazel simply stood staring the man in the eyes.

Revan intercepted a stroke at his chest and forced the Sith back. Advancing forward, he hit lightning fast strikes on the Sith, who was barely able to keep up as Revan wore him down with his punishing blows. He brought his cyan blade down onto the Dark Jedi's, before catching a follow up blow. He drove his elbow into the dark siders jaw before kicking his knee back breaking it. Revan spun round and embedded his blade into the sith's chest. With a strangled cry of pain, the dark Jedi's eyes went lifeless white and he fell onto his front. As he straightened up he sent a message to Bastila over the bond.

_Bastila how far are you from the outpost? _He waited a few seconds before Bastila replied.

_We are north of it at a safe distance. Why? What's wrong?_

_The Sith knew we were coming. I don't know how. We need you to get here quickly, I've got a feeling things are going to get very bad, very soon _He replied.

_Ok. We'll come in on the hanger bay; we picked up a signal from there. _He felt her side of the bond go silent as he turned to see the position the Exile was in.

Kazel had still not moved, his right hand held across his body, his viridian lightsaber held back behind his head as he stared at the fallen dark Jedi in front of him. What was he waiting for? This man was sith, he had tried to kill him, he deserved no mercy. No, he deserved a second chance he needn't die. Kazel stood transfixed to the spot as he mind waged a silent war with itself inside him. His dark side urging him to strike the defenceless man down for being a threat, while his light side preached to him mercy and forgiveness. Revan clipped his lightsaber to his belt and watched.

"Kill me now Jedi!" the fallen man spat. "You won't get a second chance" Kazel remained silent his eyes fixed on the man's face. Revan also kept quiet for the time being, this was Kazel's struggle and he must see it through alone. "Do it, strike me down!"

Kazel was unable to move, his mind still fighting with itself about what decision it wanted to make. To give mercy or not, that was the question burning inside his mind. His eyes showed the struggle in his soul.

"Strike me down!" the sith repeated once again. "Show no mercy, kill me! I will only kill you next time I see you!" Kazel tensed and Revan stepped in.

"Kazel don't let him goad you. You're better than that." Kazel looked back at Revan. "He's not worth the guilt, you already have enough blood on your hands. Do not let your anger dictate your actions; you'll accomplish nothing that way." Kazel swallowed slightly and, thinking over his past actions with Vrook and Kavar who had been in similar positions before he killed them, lowered his saber and deactivated it. Walking away he retrieved the Sith's lightsaber and threw it to him.

"Leave now, I won't tell you again" with that Revan and Kazel began to walk away. Seething and humiliated the dark Jedi picked up his saber and painfully stood up. His eyes glowed golden and he snarled.

"Weakling!" he leapt forwards his blade roaring back to life, but Kazel sensed it. He spun round his blade coming back to being as he deflected the blow before slashing the Sith through the waist. The body dropped and Kazel took several deep breaths as Revan watched calmly.

"Don't blame yourself" Kazel turned back around to look at him. "Some people won't accept your mercy. It's not something you can explain or avoid. He brought this upon himself." Kazel nodded and his saber slid back into its hilt. As they stood, the distinct sound of blaster fire echoed around them. Looking at each other, they quickly dashed up the corridor towards the hanger.

Reaching it they saw a terrible sight. Berail, Ishale and one of the hunters were crouching behind some barrels exchanging fire with a sith squad. The other hunters were lying around them, the bodies smouldering from repeated blaster shots. The two quickly jumped forward and began deflected blaster bolts back at the sith.

"Berail what's going on?" Revan shouted sending a bolt back into a sith's face before crouching behind the barrels along with the remaining party.

"I don't know they came out of nowhere. The shuttle's been sabotaged, you were right, they knew we were coming" Kazel ducked his head to avoid a shot at him and looked around.

"Where's Falcan?"

"Disabling the security systems. Here's hoping he's okay"

Zev hit the wall with a thud. Shaking his head to rid it of the cobwebs, he quickly moved it aside as Falcan's fist embedded in the stonewall, creating a hole where his head had once been. Using his free arm, Falcan blocked a kick at his side before returning the kick, knocking Zev back. Wrenching his arm out of the wall, he slapped away a punch, spinning and caught Zev round the face with a backhand, who stumbling back retaliated with a barrage of kicks.

Falcan used his knee to catch the first, blocking the second with his hands and then battering the third away. The fourth he dodged, ducking under one and jumping over the other. Landing he caught the younger man's arms and head butted him. Zev freed his arms and aimed another kick at Falcan's head. Falcan leaned back and struck back, kicking him into the wall. Falcan smirked and advanced.

Before he got close, Zev took something from his belt and hurled it at Falcan. Falcan barely got his head out of the way, the knife jamming into the wall behind him. Falcan's eyes were wide as he felt hot moisture oozing down his cheek; the knife behind him had blood dripping from its blade. Had he not moved, that would have been his eye. Falcan raised his hand to his cheek and brought it back to see the blood on it. His eyes were wide in shock as he saw the red liquid on his fingers.

_There was a time he wouldn't have been able to do that. He's improved, or have I just grown… complacent? _Falcan looked back at Zev who had a malicious grin on his face.

"You didn't think you were invincible did you?" Zev laughed and leapt at him. Falcan snapped back into battle mode and battered away two punches and a kick, before getting an elbow in the face. Now having been hit twice, he felt his anger get the better of him. As Zev came at him again, he blocked a kick, before catching the assassin's arm. Seizing him underneath the arm and the shoulder, Falcan lifted him and slammed him back first into the console. Zev rolled off the console with a groan as Falcan stood above him. Zev realised this was not going how he wanted and decided he would bide his time.

"We'll meet again. This isn't over until one of us is a blood drenched corpse, traitor!" Zev threw another knife at Falcan. As the knife was caught, he dived through the window, which shattered as he flew through it.

Falcan ran up to the window and looked out of it, seeing nothing. Cursing he threw the knife out of the window, and ran his hand back along his cheek. Shaking his head in disgust at his own arrogance, he turned to go through the door, that had opened since the console had been damaged by the force he had thrown Zev into it. As he moved, he heard the sounds of blaster fire from the hanger. Growling, he rushed down the stairs to enter the hanger.

The carnage that greeted him caused him to stop for a second. A blaster bolt shot past his ear and he quickly ducked down as he saw Revan, Kazel, Berail, Ishale and the remaining hunter crouched behind the barrels near the shuttle. He rolled forward and slid in with them as another blaster bolt shot over his head.

"What happened to you?" Revan asked seeing large cut on his cheek.

"Ran into an old friend, what the hell's going on?" he replied. Berail fired his rifle blindly as Ishale crouched down, ramming another energy cell into her rifle.

"Ambush, shuttle's been sabotaged." Revan replied. Falcan cursed silently.

"If we don't think of something quick we're dead" Ishale stated sending a blaster bolt right through a sith's chest as she finished.

"We won't have to" Revan stated. "The Ebon Hawk's here" as Ishale went to retort, a portion of the wall to their left was blown apart. Pieces of rubble crashed onto the ground, some flattening advancing sith beneath them. As the cloud of dust cleared, the Ebon Hawk appeared, it's turret lowered and firing upon the sith attacking them. The boarding ramp lowered and Canderous and HK appeared, firing their weapons at the troops.

"That's our cue to leave" Kazel stated as he ducked another blaster bolt. Falcan quickly leapt to his feet and headed for the Ebon Hawk, Ishale and Berail close behind. Revan and Kazel nodded and quickly ran after them as the remaining hunter fired a final blaster bolt at the sith, before following. Falcan was almost at the ship before turning around, to allow Ishale on first. As Berail caught up, he heard a pained yell from behind him and turned round to see the remaining hunter on the floor writhing in pain.

To Ishale's horror, Berail ran back towards the young man as Revan and Kazel turned to see what was happening. Berail reached him, as Falcan got onto the ramp, while HK and Ordo continued firing at the sith. Berail crouched down and lifted the boy onto his shoulders and began moving back towards the Hawk. Revan and Kazel both moved to help as Ishale watched.

As Berail neared Revan, a blaster bolt ripped through his chest and he let out a pained grunt. "NO!!" Revan yelled, as the older man fell to his knees. Berail looked up defiantly and got back to his feet. But as he did so, another two blaster bolts exploded through his chest. Falcan caught Ishale before she could move forward. The world moved in slow motion as Berail fell to one knee once again and looked up at Revan.

"GO!" he shouted with his final ounce of breath before falling onto his front. Revan waited for a second, his eyes wide.

"REVAN!" Falcan roared out to him. "COME ON!!" Ripping his eyes away from the scene, Revan turned and pelted towards the ship as blaster fire shot past him. He reached the ship and leapt onto it as Falcan pulled Ishale, who was crying and struggling desperately to go back. The Ebon Hawk turned around, the ramp lifting back up and the ship rocketed away into the regions of space.

Revan looked down, as Kazel caught his breath. Ishale struggles finally died down and she collapsed onto her knees as Falcan held her. She sobbed against his shoulder as Bastila and Brianna arrived in the cargo hold to see to them. The only sound made was Ishale's despaired weeping as they slowly tried to work out what had happened in the base. In an effort to try and save more lives, the end result had been the death of the men who had helped them get this far.

Such a cruel fate…

* * *

_Long chapter, not too long I hope._

_Anywho Good? Bad? Reviews please!!_


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The Ebon Hawk was gliding through the vast regions of space; every star watching as it rocketed past them in the blue slipstream of hyperspace. By Galactic Republic standards, it was night and most of the crew had turned in to try and sleep off the events of the day. Of course, sleep eluded most of the crewmembers, the cunning and sadistic nature of their new enemy having finally become truly apparent to them.

Revan was lying awake in the portside dormitory, his head propped on his right hand as he gazed up at the top of the bunk he was sharing with Bastila. Bastila, lying next to him, was feigning sleep but every so often her eyes would open to look at the troubled man, as he simply did not even try to fall asleep. Through the bond, she could sense the turbulent state of his mind, the guilt and the self-blame. She knew that there was no way he could have guessed the Sith would have known what he was going to do, but nonetheless, he held himself accountable. Sighing softly, Bastila opened her eyes once again and this time gently turned to face Revan, having turned away from him a few minutes before. His cyan eyes were shady and darker in the dim light of the dormitory and she gazed at him for a second.

Revan was something of a Byronic hero in her eyes. Like the great warriors of the past, he was strong, wise, intelligent, cunning, charismatic and perceptive. Yet at the same time he was prone to times of self-doubt and had a sense of weariness about him. He was always able to convince others that he was doing the right thing, but inside he had never been able to convince himself. The only time he was sure he was doing the right thing was when he was trying to rebuild the Republic as a Sith, but even then, he would doubt whether he was capable of doing so. It was events like this that showed just how human he was. Despite his incredible power and how much people revered, respected and feared him, he was still an ordinary man, something even he forgot sometimes.

Bastila carefully propped herself up on her elbow and gently brushed her hand through his hair. Revan jumped slightly, not realising she had actually been awake all that time and looked at her. She smiled sadly and traced his cheek with her fingers while he shifted onto his side to look at her.

"You need to get some sleep," Bastila breathed, while continuing to trace his face with her fingers. Revan looked away and she could sense his anger, though it was directed at himself, nothing else.

"I can't sleep Bas…not after…" Revan took a deep breath. "This is exactly what I had wanted to avoid. Instead of saving lives, I cost us more." Revan kept his gaze away from her. Bastila gazed at him carefully before gently turning his face back to hers.

"You are not the person who killed them Revan. Berail knew what he was getting into when he offered his help. That is a risk we are all taking. You know that destiny can be cruel…" Revan tried to look away again.

"Bastila…"

"No, I don't want to hear it Revan. You blame yourself far too much, even for things that aren't your fault. You try so hard to please everyone around you, to live up to people's expectations. Yet you can't even convince yourself you are doing the right thing" he looked at her, and she saw that her words had struck home. "You are just one man, Revan, no matter how powerful you are, you can't control the fates of everyone around you, no matter how hard you try." Revan took a shaky breath as she finished. He looked at her.

"That's the price of being a leader." He breathed, "If you try not to get anybody killed, you end up getting everybody killed." Bastila smiled sadly and brushed her hand down his cheek. "Bas…this is why I came here alone. I don't want to lose you."

"You're not going to lose me" she whispered and pressed her lips against his. Revan responded with a gentle yet fierce passion as he pulled her to him and held her close.

A soft wind seemed to whistle through the corridors of the Ebon Hawk as it continued its journey to the next planet. The small peace that had been created in this time was calming. But the underlining fear was still present, as the ships crew lay awake.

Falcan was sitting in the garage section of the ship. He was sitting on top of the swoop bike that had been brought on board before leaving to find Revan. He was wide awake and more alert than ever, his deep yet intense green eyes glaring into the darkness as he sat, one arm braced on his right knee, his left leg straight and he was leaning against the wall behind him. Falcan grunted in annoyance, his cheek was still throbbing courtesy of Zev throwing the knife at him.

He reached up and brushed his finger along the gash in his right cheek, that would remain there for the rest of his life. He had cleaned the blood from it, but it did not stop the fact it hurt like hell. That was the purpose behind the Shadow Walkers knives, designed to leave a lasting impression on those cut by them. Falcan growled and lowered his hand as Zev's words echoed in his mind.

_You didn't think you were invincible did you? _Maybe during his time away from the Sith, he had grown complacent with his skills, and assumed he could beat anyone in his way. He sighed softly and leant his head back against the wall and made a silent oath to himself, never again to allow his arrogance to get the better of him. Falcan's eyes closed slowly as he fell into a fitful slumber, plagued by betrayal and grief.

Once again the wind sounded through the Ebon Hawk as if it were looking for someone else to spy on, someone else to observe and study while they were lost in their thoughts, as if it was researching them. It was like some supernatural entity was scouring the ship, but whatever it was, it could not be seen, heard or even felt by those it found.

Kazel was sitting up in the cargo hold, Brianna lying blissfully asleep in the blankets and pillows he had given her when they started travelling together. Before he fell on Korriban, she had only the hard floor to sleep on; he had provided her with some blankets to make her nights more comfortable. He watched her as she turned in her sleep, twitching slightly and he smiled.

However, his thoughts returned to when he had fought the dark Jedi in the base and his smile vanished. He was ashamed to admit that he enjoyed the thrill of the duel against the two Dark Siders or even that he had revelled in the enjoyment. While he was sitting there thinking Kriea's words from his dream echoed in his mind.

_You must accept the darkness in your heart. _He thought for a long moment. What did she mean? Accept the darkness in his heart? If he was trying to atone for his past deeds than surely he should be trying to fight its influence not embrace it.

He thought back to the moment he had the dark Jedi at his mercy. At a whim he could have beheaded the Sith but did not. Revan had said not to let his anger or hatred influence his decisions. But he had seen Revan during the village battle, Revan's eyes…they had been golden and he was immersed in his anger. Revan had been in control of his emotions, yet Kazel needed help to control his. Is that what he needed to learn? Control?

Sighing, he heard a whimper come from Brianna and saw the sweat on her forehead. She was having a nightmare; she tossed slightly in her sleep as another whimper escaped her lips. Moving carefully and quietly lying next to her, Kazel ran his hand over her forehead, sending a soothing pulse over the bond. She stopped writhing and settled down, instinctively scooting back into his chest. With a smile, he wrapped his arm around her waist and laid his head down next to hers. He remained awake a few more moments, his thought on his other companions back in the Republic.

_I hope they are having better luck than we are_. This was his last thought before he dropped to sleep.

Over thousands of light years away, the flames of conflict were burning still within the struggling Republic. As Kriea had said to Kazel, it was a stagnant beast, limping through life without its sustaining heart, the Jedi Order. The wounds inflicted by Malak during the Jedi Civil war were still bleeding and the Republic was limping on, trying to rebuild and persevere.

Out of all the worlds in the Republic, the only one able to truly show the treacherous condition of the Republic was Onderon. Here the fires of civil war blazed over its surface, most severely within its capital of Izis. Rubble and debris was scattered all over the city, and fires burned in the streets and destroyed houses. It had been this way for a long time, even after Kazel had helped Vaklu win control of the city. But Vaklu had made two key errors. One: he had left Talia, the queen alive and two: he did not predict the Exile would have a change of heart.

The companions of Kazel had had little trouble freeing the captive queen and getting her to safety. Their help at first, was questioned during to their allegiance with the Exile, but now it was greatly appreciated. The conflict had escalated once they joined it, but slowly and surely Vaklu was driven back, to the point where some of his officers had defected. Public support now favoured Talia, and her troops loyalty was absolute. Vaklu's troops still fought fiercely, yet it was only a matter of time. But it was not only the followers of the Exile who had come to aid Onderon in its time of need. The Mandalorians under orders from Mandalore and Kazel had given their aid to the Royalists and Carth Onasi had sent some Republic forces to aid the Royalists against Vaklu along with two rather noted individuals.

Atton was sitting on a large stone looking up at the Royal Palace, his ribbed jacket glowing slightly in the sunshine. His brown hair was sleeked with sweet and stubble was starting to form on his chin. His two lightsabers were attached to his belt as he gazed at the final barrier between them and victory. As he sat, footsteps alerted him to the presence of Mira and he turned to look at her as she sat down next to him. Mira looked tired but determined as she too stared up at the palace.

"Not long now…" Atton stated. "Vaklu's on his last legs." Mira nodded.

"Still it won't be easy, his most elite forces are likely to be inside the palace." Atton smirked slightly.

"Well, they won't do much. Their supplies and morale are low. It's almost over and then we can move on to Nar Shadaa" Mira smiled, glad the battle was starting to draw to a close and laid her head on Atton's shoulder. He draped his arm over her shoulders and kissed her hair lightly. A tender moment passed between the two as they sat together as the wind blew across the courtyard. The moment came to an end when a voice roused them.

"All right, that's enough of that, we've got a job to do." Atton looked at the form of the man approaching them, a lightsaber at his waist. Atton groaned slightly as the former Jedi stood next to them.

The man had to be at least twenty years his senior, judging by the pure whiteness of his hair. While he was old, his body was still strong and nimble due to the many years spent walking through dangerous forests and fending off fierce creatures. However he could be annoying and cryptic, with a very dry and sarcastic humour. But this did nothing to denounce the great prowess of the man.

"Come on, get up!" The man ordered in an annoyed tone. "You're too young to be sitting around." Mira rolled her eyes and stood up with Atton who looked annoyed but knew better than to argue. "You're just as bad as Revan was."

"Would you stop comparing me to Revan? How did he put up with you?" Atton growled. His senior laughed heartily.

"Revan put up with old Jolee because he didn't have a choice." Jolee Bindo chuckled again as Atton groaned. "I kinda forced my presence on him when he found me on Kashyyyk. But it's not like he didn't benefit from my presence."

"What benefits would that be?" Mira asked. "Your humour or your riddles?"

"Both, he got my jokes and my riddles but at least he respected what I had to say to him, unlike someone else I know" Bindo looked pointedly at Atton who simply looked back at the palace. "Still you won't have to listen me rant much longer, I'll be going once this over."

"Thank the force for that." Atton muttered under his breath, as Bao-Dur and Visas approached.

"Jolee, I was able to shut-down the security systems, the palace is wide open." Bao-Dur stated. "Vaklu won't know what hit him." Jolee nodded.

"Excellent! Talia's forces are ready to attack now." Jolee stopped and looked up at the walkway sensing something. He smiled. "Well it seems she's done." The others looked up to see the lithe from of a woman appear out of thin air and approach them. As she did so, Royalist, Mandalorian and Republic soldiers began rushing passed them towards the palace, rifles ready.

The woman was a Cathar and was lithe and athletic in build. However her force presence was stronger than Jolee's and she was another companion of Revan. She was dressed in a form-fitting outfit with a lightsaber at her belt. Her hair was tied in a topknot and her eyes were glinting slightly with pride as she came to a stop in front of Jolee.

"Vaklu's personal guard have been neutralised Jolee." Her voice was accented. "Vaklu's remaining men will be little trouble. They have very little will to fight now. However I noticed his personal guard are still very willing to lay down their lives for him so we will have to assist Talia." Jolee nodded.

"Good work Juhani." She nodded and took her saber from her belt, as did Jolee. "And you're right. The royalist forces would suffer at the hands of the personal guard if we don't intervene." The sounds of blaster fire began echoing over the courtyard as he spoke. "Let's go. Onderon isn't going to liberate itself you know?" The others nodded and they quickly rushed up to the battle to join the fray, their lightsabers roaring into life.

As Juhani had predicated, the battle was one sided from the start. Having spent too much time under siege and in battle without pause, Vaklu's troops surrendered and fell in their dozens. More surrendered than were killed and they were spared by the compassionate and merciful Talia. Talia was leading the attack, much to the shock and dismay of her troops. But the Jedi quickly began shadowing her everywhere she went on the battlefield. More than once, their lightsabers blocked a blaster bolt that could have ended her.

Breaking into the palace was simple, but the elite forces inside proved more than willing to fight. These men were steadfastly loyal to the General and fought to the death to keep him safe. But their numbers were too few to truly make a difference; especially once Atton and the others engaged them.

Spinning his violet dual sabers in his hands, Atton spun round, using one blade to send a blaster bolt back at the soldier who shot it. He quickly cut another soldier's legs out before leaping up and kicking a second man into a wall. As he slumped, Atton used the force to hurl a large portion of rubble into a crowd of troops, causing them to scatter or be flattened by the massive rock. The remainder of the squad opened fire on him, but his skill of Jar Kai and Soresu proved more than a match as he spun his sabers around his body, deflecting the bolts of energy away.

Visas and Mira stood back to back as some soldiers surrounded them. Within a second the two had rushed forward, too quick for the soldiers to react. Mira leapt over one, neatly and expertly using her silver blade to avoid his vitals and to knock him out. Landing, the former bounty hunter deflected a blaster bolt towards a soldier hitting him in the right shoulder with enough force to knock him down. Ducking a swipe at her head from a man behind her, she raised her saber to block his clumsy follow up blow, before redirecting her blade to sever his hand. He collapsed to the floor holding the stump where his weapon hand had been.

Visas was less merciful, cutting down the first soldier in her path, before running a second one through with her golden saber. Raising her hand behind her, she stunned a third man with lightning before sending him soaring back into his comrades. Twirling and spinning her saber, in a graceful and almost dance like show, she redirected a number of shots from her before slicing a final soldiers arm and then stabbing him through the chest.

Bao-Dur, Jolee and Juhani had remained close to the queen, cutting down any who got too close and sending away blaster bolts aimed at them. Boa-Dur's traditional ocean blue lightsaber hummed through the air as he deflected bolts and blades alike away from the queen and himself. Jolee and Juhani subdued the remaining guards around them and soon most of the personal guard were either dead or unconscious. Reaching the main door leading to the throne room, the remaining men found it locked.

"Captain Bostuco" Talia called to the older man behind her. "Take a squad to the security room and open the door."

"No need." Jolee replied before the captain could answer. Jolee activated his arcane saber and embedded it into the door. "Hope you can afford to pay for this your majesty." He added sarcastically as he began cutting his blade up the left side of the door, across the top and down the right before finally kicking it down to reveal the throne room. He casually stepped through followed by Juhani. Talia was next after which came Bao-Dur, Atton, Visas and Mira.

Looking up, they saw the form of Vaklu standing in front of the throne, his blaster rifle aimed at Talia and a look of rage on his face. "Your people have abandoned you Talia, your life is forfeit. Onderon will have a future greater than you can imagine. But you won't be around to see it!" He pulled the trigger and an energy bolt rocketed towards Talia. However Bao-Dur moved his mechanical hand in front of her, and the blaster bolt simply bounced off of it and into a wall away from the queen. As he lowered his energy-arm, Talia stepped forward.

"Vaklu, your men have been defeated and most of them have surrendered. You can't win, and the people have turned on you in turn. Surrender." She stated as the Jedi around her watched as Vaklu snarled. Without a word, he drew a vibro-sword and charged forward towards her. Atton made to engage but Talia held out her hand towards him and took out her own weapon.

The duel was brief but very fierce. Even with his greater experience in combat, Vaklu could not match Talia's youth and skill. He was quickly forced on the defensive and was eventually pushed back by the queen. Soon his chest was heaving and he was sweating profusely as he tried to regain his breath, while Talia caught her own, watching her cousin carefully. With a roar of rage he attacked again but Talia defended herself all too well. Redirecting his first blow easily, she blocked a second aimed at her side, before catching a third at her head. She spun round, using the second blade of her weapon to send his up and spinning away into the air. She knocked him back and he fell to the ground exhausted, glaring at Talia defiantly and humiliated.

"You have won today Talia, but your reign will not be an easy one. If you imprison me, I will be free within the week and vengeance will be mine." Talia sighed sadly as he spoke.

"Vaklu, any support you once had has vanished. Your constant refusal to acknowledge anything other than your own ambitions and the supposed exploitation of Onderon by the Republic have led your supporters to abandon you. You may stand trial but the sentence is already decided is it not?" Vaklu growled and looked away. "Still, you will be given a fair trial, due to recent advice given by Master Bindo." Jolee interrupted indignantly.

"I'm not a Jedi you majesty."

"My men will detain you momentarily Vaklu." With that Talia turned away and made to leave. Vaklu suddenly grinned maliciously and drew something from his belt. Captain Bostuco, who had just arrived at the door, noticed Vaklu's movement and shouted at the queen.

"YOUR HIGHNESS!" she turned shocked as Vaklu leapt towards her, a knife raised poised to strike. Suddenly the sound of lightsaber _hissing _to life echoed around the throne room, as did the sound of energy piercing flesh. Vaklu landed on his feet looking down at the silver blade embedded in his chest. He raised his hand as if to pull it out, but simply fell back and crashed to the ground, the knife clattering away. Atton looked round at Mira, whose hand was positioned in front of her after she had thrown her saber into Vaklu.

Mira herself, looked shaken and shocked at her actions, she disliked killing people, no matter how evil they were. She slowly opened the palm of her and the hilt of her weapon flew obediently into her grasp. Taking a few seconds to regain her composure, she clipped her saber onto her belt and took a deep breath. Talia looked at her and nodded.

"Thank you" Mira inclined her head. "I'm saddened that it came to this but the war is over." Talia looked at the body of her cousin with sad eyes. Despite everything that he had done, he was still her cousin and therefore a member of her family. "He will be given full honours when his buried." Talia turned to the Jedi. "I'm not sure we could ever repay you for what you have done."

"You do not have to." Visas answered stepping forward. "The Exile asked us to come here to correct his mistake when he sided with Vaklu, we are simply doing as he asked us." Talia nodded and smiled gratefully.

"Be sure to give him my gratitude when you next see him. I think we owe him our thanks despite earlier conflicts." Talia straightened up. "I apologise for keeping you here, I fear it will no longer be safe for you to be here. What I said to Vaklu was not completely true; Vaklu still has supporters who may wish to avenge him. Thank you once again, Captain Kandron will escort to your ship while we attend to the wounded." The Queen gave a respectful bow to the Jedi and began to walk away as some soldiers arrived to carry the body of the fallen General from the throne room.

"If you will follow me. I will take you to your shuttle." Kandron stated signalling with his hand. Visas nodded and led the party after the Captain. Mira's hand found Atton's as they walked away and he gave it an affection squeeze as they made their way to the spaceport.

Presently the shuttle baring the party was inbound towards the Sojourn, the party all sat in a small silence as the Republic Cruiser grew closer and closer. Presently Jolee spoke up. "So what're you planning now?" Atton looked round from his place in the pilot seat.

"We're heading to Nar Shadaa. The Exile wanted us to make sure things there are going smoothly." Jolee nodded, as Juhani remained her usual quiet self, her eyes closed, while Atton asked a question of his own. "What about you old man?"

"Me? I'm going back to Kashyyyk. That place kept me safe after the Civil War and will continue to do so. At least until Revan gets back." Mira looked up at Jolee and Juhani.

"How can you be sure he's even alive? We only found his starfighter." Juhani opened her cat-like eyes and gazed at the Jedi Sentinel.

"Someone as powerful as Revan could not vanish without anyone else knowing. If he were to die, every force sensitive would feel it, such is the scope of his power." Mira looked at Bao-Dur who simply shrugged.

"How can you be sure?" Visas inquired. Jolee smiled and looked at Juhani who also had a smile on her face.

"Looking at Revan is like looking into the force itself. Revan's soul pulses with it and every movement he makes is laced with power and grace. Everyone around him can feel it, even non-Jedi. No doubt you'll sense it someday yourselves." Jolee chuckled "but enough about Revan, what of Kazel? The Exile?" Bao-Dur looked at the older man with a guarded look.

"The General's motive is redemption if that is what you are asking." He replied. Juhani shook her head.

"No, what is it like? Being around him?" she clarified. Bao-Dur frowned but Visas answered.

"When he is with us, we feel whole, complete. It's like…his presence is enough to see us through anything. Even when he was part of the Dark Side, him being there gave us all strength. Now that he's gone, we feel…" Visas paused unable to continued.

"Unsure." Mira finished. "He was our leader and our friend, despite some of the things he did." Mira looked down as Jolee nodded understandingly.

"Hmmm. Revan had that affect too. Especially on a certain young lady." The party looked at Jolee confused and he continued. "She looked at Revan like an older brother. She loved him as a brother after he saved her from the destruction of Taris." Juhani stiffened noticeably and Jolee put his hand on her shoulder. "When Revan left about four years ago, she was confused and lonely as her best friend had returned to Kashyyyk with me. Hurt by the fact Revan left, she went looking for him. From what I heard in the Galactic chatter, people died and she was captured. We're not sure by whom or where she was taken. Falcan was able to find out more, but whatever he found out, he didn't share the information with us. By that point we were too busy trying to survive the Sith." Juhani looked down, as did Jolee.

"Does Revan know?" Atton called back. Juhani shook her head, though Atton could not see her.

"Most likely not. But from what I do know…if Falcan, Bastila and Kazel are with him, he'll find out soon." The party nodded and descended into silence once more, as the shuttle began the docking procedure with the Sojourn.

Revan twitched slightly and his cyan eyes fluttered open. Looking around for a brief second, he felt Bastila laying next to him, still asleep, his arm wrapped protectively around her waist. With a small smile, he placed a soft kiss on her lips, before carefully leaving the bunk and getting cleaned and dressed. Putting on a leather muscle shirt, with black trousers boots leather gloves and grey jacket and attaching his sabers to the back of his belt, he quietly left the dormitory and headed for the cockpit.

Not surprisingly, he found Falcan already in the cockpit, his feet propped up on the control panel and his green eyes focused on the planet that had come into view when they exited hyperspace. He swivelled his neck around, popping the joints, as Revan sat down next to him.

"Still can't sleep?" Revan asked quietly. The man looked at his friend and shook his head quietly. "Want to talk?" the former assassin sighed and looked away.

"I've been…dreaming…about Juno." Revan's eyes formed a surprised frown and he tilted his head to look at Falcan. "I'm not sure what they mean exactly, if they mean anything. It's only a few moments that I see her, she smiles and then she's gone. I haven't been sleeping because I don't want to keep seeing her face…" Falcan faltered.

"Because every time you do, it's like you've lost her all over again." He looked at the former Dark Lord and nodded. "You truly are soul mates, if you're still mourning her now." Falcan smiled sadly, his hand brushing the necklace around his neck. "You know she asked me about you once" he looked back at Revan, who was smiling. "It was after she first met you, nothing too drastic. Just asking who you were and where you came from. I only told her our home world but not your background, though you told her eventually right?" Falcan chuckled, looking more cheerful.

"That sounds like Juno. As curious as a cat" both men shared a laugh before Falcan became business like. "So why have we come to this planet?"

"This is the safest place we can go for now. We can get supplies and information here. I couldn't learn much last time, as I left too quickly to get anything useful. But the crime lords here are all in opposition to the Sith, so they would give us information…for a price of course." Revan answered. Falcan groaned.

"Human greed…" he muttered in disgust. "Almost everyone has a price these days. Still if they help us against the Sith, I have no complaints." Revan nodded in agreement.

Steadily he took the ship in for a landing on the planet's surface as the sun slowly began to rise over its night side.

* * *

_Apologises for the slow update. Summer holidays have started so I took some time off._

_Anyway reviews please!!_


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

_I realise I may be updating slower than usual but with the summer holidays going, I hit something of a lazy streak._

_Anyway here's the next chapter enjoy._

* * *

Chapter 14

The Ebon Hawk slowly lowered its landing gear and touched down in the spaceport. A few port mechanics emerged from doors to the side and approached the ship as the boarding ramp lowered and Revan came down. One of them, an Iridonian approached Revan with a smile and they shook hands and exchanged words as the others moved around to refuel and re-supply the ship.

The planet itself was almost like Naboo; from space you could see the dense forests, the swamplands, the vast grass plains and the long winding rivers, leading towards the vast oceans. The natural beauty of the planet was enough to make anyone's jaw drop, making you gaze in awe of the planets wonder.

The civilisation on this planet looked regal and majestic. Almost all the people in the streets were wearing expensive looking clothing, ranging from robes to uniforms. The buildings were all extremely large with many patterns and designs along the walls and rooftops. This place was made look as though everyone within this marvellous city was royalty.

Falcan approached the door to the starboard dormitory, carrying a tray of food and water. He stood calmly as it whooshed open and he quietly entered the room, seeing Ishale lying on the bunk at the far-end. She had her back to him as he entered, but upon hearing his footsteps, she turned to lay on her other side and looked up at him. Falcan smiled softly and placed the tray down next to her.

"Hungry?" the young woman nodded gratefully and picked the tray up, swinging her legs over the side of the bunk and placing it on her lap. Ishale began eating as Falcan sat down next to her and watched for a second. "How're you holding up?" he asked softly. She gulped down the last of water and looked at him, her amber eyes glazed over with grief.

"Getting there…it's just…" she looked down and away from him, tears slipping from her eyes again. "Berail was like an adopted father to me. When my father betrayed us and joined the Sith, Berail raised me as his own, he didn't care about my family's history. He saw me for who I was." She looked back at the former assassin. "With him gone, it's like there's…" she stopped but Falcan finished for her.

"A hole that can't be refilled?" she nodded. "I know how that feels. But he was proud of you Ishale, I could tell in the way he looked at you and how he spoke of you. You _are _his daughter and you always will be" she smiled sadly and Falcan placed his hand on her shoulder. "Get some rest, you don't look like you slept last night." She had dark rings under her eyes and she looked very tired. He got up to leave but Ishale stopped him for a second.

"Before you go, can I ask you something?" he turned and nodded to her and she took a breath. "Forgive me if this is too personal, but what was she like? Juno?" Falcan frowned for a second trying to string the words together of how to describe her. While he didn't mind answering Ishale's question, it was difficult considering how much Juno had meant to him.

"She was compassionate, quiet at times but as curious as a cat. If something caught her interest, she needed to know what it was. She was kind as well, though her occupation as a Shadow Walker left little time for those things. Juno was very capable and could always be relied on." He smiled at the memory of her. "Like Berail did with you, she saw me for who I was. She didn't just see a former slave from Deralia or a ruthless assassin of the Sith, she saw beneath the surface and didn't care what was on the outside." He smiled again and looked back at Ishale. "Does that answer your question?" she nodded looking satisfied and smiled.

"I was just curious, I'm sorry it's not really any of my business" Falcan held up his hand and shook his head.

"I don't mind, it's good to be able to talk about her with others." He looked at her and she looked away sheepishly. "Now get some rest Ishale, you'll need your strength." She nodded once more, as he turned and left.

Falcan made his way to the medical bay and proceeded to get his equipment ready and changed his clothes. He slid on the black body suit he had a worn as a Sith, for some reason, the urge to wear it was calling to him. He carefully attached the shoulder pads that went with it, and then reached down to the gauntlets that had housed his preferred weapon: the gauntlet vibro-blades.

Falcan paused for a second as he strapped the first gauntlet to his right arm. He was expecting Juno's arms to wrap around his shoulders, like they had done whenever he used to leave on a solo mission when he was with the Sith. He could never understand that, even though he knew she was dead, he sometimes still expected her to be there beside him when he woke up, to be by his side when he spoke to Revan. He could still hear her whispering her love for him sometimes when he lay awake at night. He looked down for a second to stop the pure emotion that had welled up and took a few calming breaths._ Maybe I'm finally losing it _he thought. He needed to focus; wishing for the past would not help him at this time. He could take comfort in her memory but that was all. With a growl of mild annoyance at himself, he finished strapping the gauntlets to his forearms and then draped the cloak over his left arm before leaving. He briefly checked the cargo hold, and saw Brianna and Kazel were still asleep, curled together beneath the blankets. With a soft smile, he decided to let them get more rest, as he turned and left the Ebon Hawk.

Falcan emerged into the sunlight of the dock, just as Revan bid goodbye to the man he was speaking to. Bastila was gazing around at the buildings as Falcan descended the ramp. Revan looked up at him, his short black hair fluttering in the wind. "We should be safe here for a time," he stated as he turned his gaze back to the city. "We'll have to move on as soon as possible." Falcan nodded calmly and looked around at the city.

A few of the citizens looked at them with curious gazes but he paid them no heed. "What do you have in mind?" he asked.

"Well there are a few crime lords here who I've had the pleasure of meeting. They may have information we could use, but they'll have a price." The former assassin rolled his eyes as the former dark lord nodded. "Bastila and I are going to go and talk to one of my contacts here, he's been working against the Sith on his own for a while now. If they've done anything here recently, he'll know about it." Falcan nodded.

"Well I'm gonna have a look round, see if there's anything useful here" Revan nodded and rummaged through his utility before pulling out a small bag and handed it to his friend.

"This is the money they use here, food or weapons can be brought in the market place to the east. You'll know it when you see it" Falcan nodded and began heading off into the crowd, almost immediately vanishing amongst the bustling people.

Bastila approached Revan "Shall we?" she inquired calmly. He nodded and led the way through the streets towards a less savoury looking district of the city, where the buildings looked slightly older and less majestic, with some cracks obvious in the walls. "I think we should be careful Revan" Bastila muttered calmly as they entered the slums.

"Believe or not Bas…" Revan replied "It's the rich people who are more of a threat." She raised her eyebrow so he continued. "They are blinded by greed, the Sith have made their lives paradise. Any attempt to bring an end to the Sith will result in them losing all their privileges, so our allies at this point in time…" he looked around at the rugged individuals who were leaning against the walls or sitting on the stairs around them. "Are the criminals."

**...**

In the darkness of the ancient Sith temple, the Grand Sire sat on his thrown as Arkham made his report on the situation from their encounter with Revan. The True Sith listened intently to the commanders' report as his long scaly tail coiled around his throne.

"Revan and his companions escaped my lord, but Berail and his hunters were all killed, and their village has been destroyed."

"Good." The Grand Sire's deep and violent voice growled in approval. "Now they will know the penalty for defying the Sith, go now Commander. Send Zev to me." Arkham bowed and left the throne room for his ship as the ruler of the True Sith stood and moved to look out the window. The room pulsated with his dark power as he gazed over the forests of the world. Soon a strange presence entered the room as the form of Zev appeared and knelt down behind the Sith.

"You wished to see me Grand Sire?" Zev's usually cocky voice was still light but at this point was filled with respect and a slight undertone of fear. The reptilian nodded and turned to him.

"Yes, you were sent to that base to make sure that Revan did not escape, but instead you decided to let your thirst for battle run wild, and you attacked your former commander: Falcan. Did you not?" The Grand Sire's voice was rumbling with anger and Zev bowed his head.

"My lord…I thought that if I could remove one of Revan's allies, it would make him easier to deal with."

"A poor lie boy…" the Sith growled turning around to the assassin. "You allowed you desire for revenge to cloud your judgement". Zev looked up at the glowing red eyes of the Sith and swallowed. "And not only did you disobey my direct orders, you failed to eliminate Falcan." The Grand Sire suddenly drew his Sith sword, the blade jagged and black and swung violently towards Zev, who closed his eyes. When he reopened them, he found the blade inches from his neck and he looked up at the Sith. "Normally I would have your head for such insolence, but for the moment, it is more useful where it is." Zev bowed his head. "Get out of my sight, do not disappoint me again."

"My lord forgive me, but what about Falcan?" he asked.

"Do not concern yourself with that, I am sending your second team to deal with him. They were old friends of Falcan. Now get out." Zev bowed once more and left the throne room. Outside he stopped for a second, before snarling and punching the wall beside him. He exhaled through his nose in frustration and made his way back to the assassin's quarters.

**...**

Revan and Bastila approached a large courtyard of the slum area and made their way around it. People were sitting around the area, drinking, eating, some of them smoking and ingesting what looked like death sticks while others were playing what looked like pazaak. Some of the people looked at them curiously as they walked past, some of the children ran up to ask him to play but he politely turned them down and they left with playful sulks.

"You seem well known here Revan" Bastila pointed out with a smile, as Revan knelt down to hand a boy back his ball. He turned to her with a smile of his own and nodded.

"I've been here before. But this is probably one of the worst areas of the city. Murders are common here, though most of those killed are usually arrogant rich people who decided to rub someone the wrong way and got what was coming." Bastila raised her eyebrows at his words and he shrugged. "I don't particularly approve of them being killed, but they should know better than to show off their way of life only made possible because of the Sith. All the people here, don't follow the Sith, and yes they are all rather questionable people" as he spoke a larger man noticed and called to him.

"Revan" he approached as the younger man nodded to him. "Been a long time…" he noticed Bastila and his eyes glowed lustfully as he looked her up and down, her eyes narrowed in disgust. "Nice of you to bring a friend." His voice was a drawl, and Revan didn't have to look to guess Bastila's hand was drifting dangerously close to her lightsaber.

"Touch her and lose your hands." The older man nodded at the threat and pointed towards the house on his left.

"He's in his house Revan." And with that he moved away but spared a final glance at Revan's companion before leaving.

"Pleasant man," Bastila muttered in annoyance. "Is everyone you've met here like him?" she inquired darkly. He laughed.

"No, you needn't worry. The man we are going to see is a kind soul. He's the leader here. While he may be involved in crime, it's mostly to make sure the people under his care survive." Revan clarified.

They walked up to the building the man had pointed out and the door slid obediently open. Security wasn't much of an issue in this area since everyone in the district watched out for each other, and alerted everyone to the presence of outsiders or rich folk. As the couple moved through the building, they heard the sounds of drilling and sawing from a small workshop. Upon entering they saw an elderly man hunched over a small workbench making something out of some of the many components and metal shards in his workhouse.

The man himself, although certainly old, looked to be in good physical condition, his arm muscles were toned and he looked well built for his age. Revan chuckled softly as Bastila looked a little hesitant as her bond-mate approached the elderly man.

"You keep working like that, you're gonna break a hip old man" The man turned taking off a pair of goggles to see Revan. His grey eyes glowed with amusement and he smiled at him.

"Revan." He muttered setting down his tools and approaching the younger man. His movements carried an air of strength and power.

"Sarutobi" Revan replied. The men clasped hands in greeting and nodded to each other. Sarutobi's eyes turned to Bastila and, unlike the other man, looked at her in a friendly light and he smiled once more.

"And you must be Bastila." He stated turning his attention to her. Bastila looked a little shocked that he knew her, but then smiled and shook his hand as well.

"Yes, I am" she answered. The elderly man nodded still smiling.

"The pleasure is all mine, Revan spoke of you often when he was here before." She raised her eyebrows to her bond-mate, who blushed slightly and she smiled once more. "He spoke very highly of you as well I might add." The former dark lord looked a little embarrassed and Bastila laughed slightly. "Come, come I'll make some drinks and we can talk a bit, no doubt you have come here for information eh?" Sarutobi left the workshop to enter his home while Bastila simply approached Revan with a grin.

"Spoke highly of me did you?" she cooed quietly as he blushed slightly. "Miss me that much my love?" she inquired playfully.

"Yes I did," Bastila blinked, slightly taken aback by the sudden honesty in his voice. "It was the hardest thing I've ever experienced, being separated from you" he looked at her and his cyan eyes glowed a little darker than normal and she found herself as usual, entranced by them.

"For what it's worth" she replied in a soft whisper. "The feeling was mutual" she planted a gentle kiss on his lips before taking his hand and they exited the workshop after Sarutobi.

Presently they were all sitting in the small living room of Sarutobi's home, all with a small mug of caffa each. Bastila and Revan were sitting on the sofa as Sarutobi sat in a large armchair placing his mug on the small table in front of him. His grey eyes searched Revan for a brief moment, as if trying to look at his soul as the young man took a sip from his cup before putting it down.

"So my friend" Sarutobi began as the former dark lord looked up. "What information draws you back here?"

"We've just escaped a planet that Sith were stationed on. During the escape a friend and his followers were killed and we barely got out with our skins intact. The people were almost certainly culled afterwards" Sarutobi nodded regretfully and sighed.

"And now you come here. Well as far as I know, the Sith have not stationed any forces here. My spies have not reported anything that could hint that the Sith are preparing to place their military here, or are getting ready to cull our people." Bastila looked confused and turned to Revan.

"Cull?" she asked. He looked at her and back to the older man who explained.

"The Sith cull any people who have been protesting or working against them. It is their way of ensuring loyalty through fear. Cull would usually mean kill on mass, but to the Sith, well…" his eyes shone slightly with sorrow. "They take the people and use them as sustenance for their power." Bastila nodded and disgust as well as horror seemed to mingle in her features. "They took my daughter and wife from me because they disapproved of their ways. I have not seen either since and that was twenty years ago." Sarutobi sighed and stood up to look out the window as the two former Jedi looked up at him.

"Sarutobi, apart from any military movement, has there been any other kind of abnormal activity?" Bastila asked, the older man thought for a long moment.

"Well there was one thing, but not anything out of the ordinary." He turned to sit back down. "There was a prisoner march about two weeks ago, you know where they walk new prisoners down the road for all to see?" Revan nodded. "Well most of the prisoners were people you could expect, but one of them was different, a twi'lek." Bastila and Revan looked at each other as Sarutobi continued. "She was in her late teens and she was a feisty one. She was able to break a Sith worshippers arm before they subdued her." Revan smirked slightly and Sarutobi pointed over to his desk. "She dropped something as she was hauled away, it was an armband, and I picked it up and brought it here for safe keeping." Revan stood up as he finished his story and approached the desk.

On the desk as Sarutobi had said, was an armband. The person who wore it had to have thin arms as it was small and was made of rare silver. It looked more like a fashion statement than anything else. As he looked it over, Revan could hear Bastila and Sarutobi discussing something, but paid no attention. He turned the band over in his hands and that's when he saw it.

On the armband was a crude inscription, barely enough for Revan to make it out. The message read simply "For Mission-Z". Revan's eyes widened and his heart stopped. Bastila noticed him tense quite considerably and Sarutobi turned to him as well.

"Revan? What's wrong?" she asked. Revan didn't answer her but instead spoke to the old man.

"Sarutobi…the twi'lek you saw, did she have…blue skin?" Bastila frowned and looked at Sarutobi who nodded.

"Yes, she did." Revan closed his eyes and his jaw clenched and he lowered his head.

"Mission…" he muttered under his breath before looking at his bond-mate. "It's Mission, Bas. She's here…" Bastila's eyes widened slightly and she got up to look at the armband.

"Do you know her Revan?" Sarutobi asked. The younger man nodded, running his hand through his black hair. "Then you had better get her out of the prison before it's too late." He looked at his elder. "If they find out her connection to you, they'll either use her to find you, or they'll kill her." He stood up and entered the next room as Bastila turned to Revan.

"Are you sure Revan?" she inquired, her voice tinged with worry. He nodded.

"She showed me this armband when we were on Manaan. She said Zaalbar made it for her." As he finished Sarutobi re-entered the room with a datapad.

"This has the coordinates of that prison she was taken to. If she's still alive, she'll be there." He handed the datapad to Revan. "But watch yourselves, its heavily guarded and there are many dangerous individuals in that prison." Bastila took the datapad and looked at it as he spoke. "And there are also some new Sith there. They are like nothing I've ever seen before. One of them carried a scythe." Revan's eyes snapped up to the older man who nodded. "A man and woman have been seen around here recently, they wear all black and seem to be working for the Sith. The man carries the scythe, you need to be careful." The younger man nodded and held out his hand.

"Thank you." Sarutobi grasped his hand and nodded with a smile before looking serious once more.

"Now go, your friend needs you, I'll be here if you need anything else. Good luck my friend." He answered.

"In my experience there's no such thing." Revan replied. With that they said their goodbyes and exited the house, taking the armband with them. They stood outside for a few seconds.

"Mission, stupid girl." Bastila muttered, with more worry than anger. "I thought she was smarter than this. What's she thinking?" her bond-mate shook his head.

"I don't know, but we've got to get her out as soon as possible." She nodded as he cracked his neck, a sign of frustration. "Come on let's get back to the Ebon Hawk." They quickly made their way back to their ship as the sun burned in the sky above them.

Falcan picked up a piece of fruit from a stand in front of him and gave some money to the owner. Asking that the other supplies ranging from food to a couple of weapons that he had purchased be taken to his ship, he gave his thanks and began to make his way back to the star-port. He bit into the fruit and looked around, careful to avoid the numerous people that bustled around the market place. He slipped through crowd rather easily, keeping a careful eye out for anything out of place.

He suddenly felt his sense give him a warning and his eyes narrowed. He finished his fruit and looked towards the center of the market place. Seeing nothing, he looked up and around the plaza he was currently in. Something was causing the wind to howl as he gazed around.

"Falcan". A deep male voice echoed his mind and he turned around carefully keeping his eyes on his surroundings. "This way." The voice echoed once more. Seeing a small alleyway, Falcan went against his better judgement and made his way into the alley. In a strange moment, the noise of talking people and bustling feet immediately silenced and Falcan's eyes flicked to his left and right, he slowly walked through the alleyway. As he walked, he heard the sounds of steel spinning on the ground and he felt a smile mar his face as he rounded a bend. He shook his head as he saw a man sitting on a wall and a woman sitting behind him.

The woman was about Falcan's age, and was pretty, with short and layered red hair and green eyes, though lighter than his. She was wearing a form-fitting outfit with a couple of knives sheathed on both sides of her waist. On her back, an electrostaff was strapped, the blades an eerie white while the handle was black, with dark red lines up the center. The man was slightly older, and looked rugged yet still good looking in appearance, with a stubble on his chin and sleeked back blonde hair and blue eyes. He was dressed in a black top with white sleeves and dark trousers and black boots. The most unique thing about him however was the weapon in his hand, which he was spinning along the ground. A scythe, the blade was curved and golden, the rest of it completely black. They both looked up as Falcan approached and both of them smiled. Falcan could safely say they did not want to fight, and were here to talk, he could also safely say they were his friends, both of them Shadow Walkers.

"Caleb." Falcan muttered as the man stood up, holding his scythe next to him. "Shalla." He said to the woman who nodded to him. "It's been a while."

"Indeed it has my friend." Caleb replied, looking at him with a smile. "I trust you're well?"

"Yes, I am considering what I've been going through recently." His senior laughed slightly as Shalla smiled.

"Yes, we've heard about that. In fact there is no way we could not have done. Zev has been complaining about how you beat him again so thanks we've got to live with that. Though it seems he was able to return the favour." she inclined his eyes to the fresh scar on Falcan's cheek and smirked in amusement. "There was a time, he couldn't touch you."

"I've grown complacent it seems." He replied. "Another scar to add to the collection." His smile vanished at this point. "Why are you here if not to fight?"

"Believe it or not, we came here to warn you about the Sith's plans." Caleb replied. Falcan raised his eyebrows and chuckled.

"You could get into a lot of trouble for doing this." He answered.

"Perhaps, but you should know that they are beginning to muster their forces, it seems they want to find you quite badly, if they don't find you, then they'll try to lure you out by culling a civilisation." The older man nodded regretfully. "You've got quite an obstacle in your path, Falcan." The former commander of the Shadow Walkers nodded.

"Falcan," he turned to Shalla, who looked at him for an answer. "What happened to Juno?" he sighed as Caleb also looked at him curiously.

"Now is not the time for that. I need to return to Revan." He looked up and his eyes gleamed dangerously. "Are you going to stop me?" both of them shook their heads.

"No, we came here to talk nothing more." Shalla replied. He didn't need to answer her, he could see the confusion in her eyes, Shalla and Juno had been very close, and they had considered each other sisters. Caleb also remained silent as if upset and looked at Falcan.

"Falcan" the younger man turned to him. "I want you to know, that despite everything, you're still my friend, but we're on different sides. When we next meet, it won't be like this." Falcan nodded.

"I know, thank you." He replied as he made to leave. "Be well, Shalla and you Caleb. May your duty never be too much for you to bear." As he spoke, Shalla and Caleb melted away into the darkness; both smiling once more and Falcan exited the alleyway, making his way back to Ebon Hawk.

By the time Falcan had reached the Ebon Hawk, he found Revan and Bastila in the hanger, with Kazel, Brianna, Ishale and Canderous. He immediately noticed the change in Revan's demeanour and approached quickly, with a look of concern as they turned to him as he got on board.

"What's going on?" he inquired as he came up next Kazel. Revan looked down and threw him something. Catching the armband, he raised an eyebrow and looked down at the small object.

"It's Mission's." Bastila stated, as he looked it over. "She's being held prisoner by the Sith." Falcan nodded, looking unsurprised and Revan's eyes narrowed very dangerously and anger became apparent in his features.

"You knew?" His friend looked up him and his eyes said everything he needed to know. "You knew all along and you didn't tell me!?" his voice had risen quite dramatically, Ishale swallowed worriedly as Kazel and Brianna backed away slightly as Revan glared blades at Falcan, who did not look away but calmly gazed back into Revan's deadly cyan eyes.

"I didn't know she would be _here, _but I thought she might have come out here into the unknown regions: looking for _you_." He stated pointedly to the former dark lord. Revan's eyes continued to glow dangerously as the two stared at each other. Then Falcan said something else, but it was in a language that Kazel, Ishale, Canderous and Brianna could not understand.

It was a sleek and graceful language, almost regal in sound. It was Deralian, only Revan and Bastila could speak and understand it. Revan replied in the same tongue, the tone and sound of speech sounding like the great forest beings of legend, the ones who never aged and lived for eternity. When Falcan next spoke it was in galactic basic.

"Young Mission…she looked at you as an older brother. She worshipped you…" Revan made to march past Falcan.

"You were supposed to keep an eye on her…" he retorted angrily. As he made to walk past, Falcan's hand caught his arm in the joined underneath the elbow. Revan tried to move, but Falcan's grip was incredibly strong, his deep green eyes burning dangerously as he stared a hole through his former lord.

"She never forgave you for leaving…just when she needed you most!" Falcan snarled at him. To the surprise of everyone, Revan's shoulders slumped slightly in defeat. The former assassin removed his hand from his arm, and allowed him to leave the hanger section for the portside dormitory. Falcan sighed, calming himself and looked at Bastila. She nodded understandingly and moved after Revan.

"What was that about?" Kazel asked quietly, Mandalore answered him.

"Mission Vao is a girl Revan met on Taris, she's a sunny and feisty girl as well as very stubborn. She helped Revan find the princess on Taris before its destruction and travelled with us ever since. She and Bastila had a few exchanges every once in a while" Canderous paused and sniggered slightly at the thought of Mission having an argument with Bastila, only to be tripped by the force as Falcan continued where he left off.

"She grew very attached to Revan, looking to him for help and support, seeing him as the replacement for her brother who abandoned her on Taris. She loves Revan as much as a sister loves her brother and he sees her the same way." He sighed once more. "Mission was devastated when he left without telling anyone, and was left confused and alone. We tried to be there for her, but eventually she too left, to go looking for Revan. That was two years ago, and we didn't hear from her once." He took a deep breath. "She must be 18 now." He looked at Canderous who nodded.

"Then how can you even be sure she's alive?" Kazel asked once more.

"Mission has many skills, and surviving is one of them. Even if there was only one way to survive out here, she'd find it." Falcan laughed slightly and looked at Kazel. "Trust me, when you meet her, you'll find there's very little she can't do. She's much more capable than she seems." With that Falcan left for the cockpit, leaving the rest of the party together in the garage section.

Bastila found the door to the dormitory open and came inside to see Revan sitting on one of the bunks; his hands laced together his chin resting on top of them. As she entered, the door closed and she sat down next to him, her hand coming up to run through his hair.

"Falcan was right…" he said simply. "I should've been there for her after the Star Forge." Bastila shook her head as she continued to stroke his hair.

"Even if you had been, she probably would have come after you anyway. You know what she's like. Mission's impulsive and brave, she'd do anything to help you." She replied. Revan let out a long breath.

"Still, maybe if I'd been there, I could've told her where I was going, and I was going alone." He said. "I didn't want to tell her because I thought this would happen. But that was stupid, since she came after me anyway and got herself captured in the process. And now she's either in prison or dead." He ran his hand through his hair as his bond-mate lowered her hand. She took hold of his and looked at him.

"Mission's stronger than she appears you know that. Besides the mistake you made is in the past Revan. You cannot change it, but you can make up for it." He looked at her and smiled, nodding. Bastila leant forward and kissed him gently before smirking. "Now stop moping, and give Falcan the co-ordinates so we can get her out of there." He jokingly gave her a military salute.

"Yes ma'am." He stated mockingly in soldier tone. She swatted his arm playfully and got up and leaving the portside dormitory as Revan made his way to the cockpit to speak to Falcan.

_Hold on Mission. I'm coming for you._

_Good? bad? reviews please!!_


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

_Sorry for the late update. School just started and with the Force Unleashed having come out, my time was occupied. However here's the next chapter._

_Enjoy_

Chapter 15

The Ebon Hawk glided slowly over woodland. As it approached the compound on a small hilltop over looking the prison, the Ebon Hawk slowly descended and landed on the ridge. Revan and Falcan in the cockpit began shutting down numerous systems within the ship, save the life-support and the auxiliary power in order to maintain their cover. As they finished Revan looked out at the prison and his face was wracked with concentration.

"We'll be able to move in on foot from here. By the time we get there, we should have the cover of darkness to mask our presence." Falcan stated quietly as he shut down the hyperdrive before looking at Revan.

"Unless they've already spotted us." The former sith replied. His friend shook his head.

"If they'd already spotted us, they would have starting shooting." He replied. "I spotted some AA towers, and got nothing from them, so we should be in the clear." Revan nodded.

"You were right Falcan." Falcan looked at him and he looked back. "I should have been there for her." The former assassin sighed.

"Perhaps, but there's nothing that can be done about that now. We need to make sure we get Mission out of there." Revan nodded once more, and they bumped knuckles in a Deralian gesture of respect and friendship and the former dark lord left the cockpit, as Falcan took a final look over the prison before turning and walking into the main hold. When he walked in, the rest of the crew were waiting expectantly.

"Ok Revan, what's the plan?" Canderous asked as Revan called up the blueprints of the prison on the hologram.

"Well from what Sarutobi's datapad told me, the prison is a triple max prison, meaning it's filled with the most dangerous criminals. I use the word criminal loosely as anyone who protests to the Sith is a criminal here. Most of the people in there are most likely innocent, some are dangerous though." Revan made the blueprints shift slightly.

"So the only question is, which one is Mission held in?" Bastila stated matter of factly, her bond-mate nodded. Canderous chuckled sardonically.

"Knowing the kid, she could be in triple max for all we know." As he spoke, Falcan chuckled as well.

"You're right." Revan replied. "So we'll have to split up, into three groups. Kazel, Brianna, Ishale." The three of them looked at him. "You'll be going in the single max section. It's probably the most lightly guarded and so will most likely be filled with innocent people. Get in, look for Mission, and if she's not there get out. Clear?" Kazel had seen this side of Revan before, the tactician, the leader during the Mandalorian Wars

"Got it." Kazel replied calmly as Brianna simply nodded.

"Canderous, you'll be with me and Bastila. We'll be heading into the triple max section. I want a low profile at all times, Ordo is that understood?"

"Yeah, yeah" Canderous replied, shrugging.

"Who's going with Falcan?" Ishale asked, curiously. Revan looked at her with a glint in his eye.

"Hk is." Kazel raised an eyebrow as Hk's receptors glowed sadistically.

"Eager Query: You wish me to accompany the assassin Master?" Hk asked, with an underlining edge of excitement.

"Yes Hk, I do." his creator replied.

"Delighted Statement: Excellent! I look forward to seeing his methods of dispatching meatbags and comparing them to mine! I do hope he is as efficient as I remember him being when I first met him." Falcan shook his head in amusement. "Query: Do I have to follow his orders Master?"

"To the button HK." Revan answered. HK almost seemed let down by this, almost.

"Resignation: Very well Master. If that is the deal, then so be it. I will gladly follow his orders as though they were yours Master." Kazel's face showed quite a bit of shock. The droid actually respected someone other than Revan.

"This droid is full of surprises." He mused.

"Statement: I will take that as a compliment, meatbag." Canderous, Falcan and Revan laughed as the Exile simply looked stumped for words.

"Falcan." Revan turned to his friend. "How long will it take us to get there?" Falcan thought for a moment.

"Hmmm. I'd say about an hour, two tops. We'll be there by nightfall either way." The former Dark lord nodded and then his eyes narrowed slightly.

"Ok, this'll be nothing new to you Falcan, or you HK. But for everyone else there is one rule for this: No witnesses." Everyone nodded firmly as Falcan folded his arms.

"Which can mean no mercy, right?" Revan nodded firmly. "That's fine, I wasn't planning on giving any. If they've so much as looked at Mission the wrong way, I'm gonna rip them to pieces." The former assassin stated with an edge of anger.

"If the droid doesn't beat you to it." Canderous added on at the end, Falcan inclined his head to the side in agreement.

"T3 I need you to stay on the ship should anything happen." He received a number of beeps and clicks from the Astromech droid and nodded. "All right, we'd better get moving, I'd rather get there sooner rather than later." Revan said firmly. They all nodded and all of them exited the ship, HK quickly equipped his personalised disruptor rifle, as Ishale took a sword from a cargo container and Mandalore picked up his oversized blaster rifle. Revan, on the way out of the ship, strapped a sheathed blue hilted vibro-blade to his back.

As they did, Falcan paused to look at the sunset, the sky glowing red as the sun slowly slipped beneath the horizon. "A red sun set…blood will be spilled this night."

As Falcan had predicted, the night settled in long before they arrived at the prison, the forest around them becoming almost pitch black. This didn't hinder the Jedi of the party as they simply switched to force vision in order to see in the dark, HK-47 didn't notice, as his vision was always red. Canderous's helmet compensated for the lack of light, and Ishale remained firmly behind Falcan as he followed Revan through the forest. Every now and then, Revan would look around as if he'd heard something, but then simply turn his attention back on his objective: to rescue Mission.

Coming to the edge of the forest, Revan crouched down seeing a single guard, who held a blaster rifle and was looking over the prison. Revan turned to Bastila and nodded. She smirked slightly and quickly hopped out of her hiding place. She silently crept behind him and made her move.

The guard at first didn't notice he wasn't on the ground anymore. Looking down, his eyes bulged and he looked round seeing Bastila. Before he could make a sound, she threw her arm to the right, sending him into a tree, and then threw her arm to the left so he flew into a rock face. As she levitated him once again, Bastila finished by slamming him face first into the ground, and he simply slumped down, darkness consuming him.

"She's good." Kazel stated, Revan grinned roguishly.

"You have no idea." He replied slyly as he moved out of the forest. Kazel opened his mouth wordlessly as Falcan followed along with HK, Canderous not far behind them. The party looked over the prison with grim eyes.

The structure looked almost like a fortress, such was the scale of the building. They could clearly see the guards on the walls and could see no entrance. In some ways it felt like they were entering a haunted castle, simply because of the night sky and the moonlight that illuminated the prison. Revan pulled out a small holocron that had come with the datapad and brought out the image of the prison, studying it intently.

"All right, we'll have to enter at different points. Falcan, HK head straight down this hill, there should be a side entrance that you can use to get into the double max sections guards quarters, from there follow the signs." Falcan nodded and he and the menacing droid soon vanished down the hill as both engaged stealth units.

"Kazel follow us, we're heading to small underground entry point, once we get there, we'll split up. You use the underground to get to the single max area and we'll head along the wall." With a nod from the Exile, the two groups quickly moved over the hilltop towards the northern section of the wall.

The guard positioned in front of the wall groaned tiredly as he failed to notice Revan and the others moving up behind him. Revan saw a long sharp piece of rock on the ground. Gazing at it, he gripped it with the force and, with a flick of his cyan eyes, sent it flying towards the man. The guard flinched and looked down to see a point of the rock protruding from his chest, before collapsing onto the ground. The party quickly emerged and Revan found the door to the underground and pulled it up.

"All right, head east and you should come to the single max control room. Remember no witnesses." Kazel nodded as he, Brianna and Ishale quickly descended into the underground and Revan closed the door. He led Bastila and Canderous along the underside of the wall before reaching another door, this time leading into the wall. He looked it over and found the key slot.

"Canderous head back to that body, and see if its got a key card." Without a word, Mandalore moved back through the darkness and was gone for only a few minutes, before returning with a thin card. Revan swiped it through the slot and the door obediently opened. Just before he moved forward, Canderous stopped him.

"Wait a sec." He knelt down, setting his large repeating blaster rifle down with him and raised his wrist. Clicking something on his armour, a thin layer of steam-like smoke emitted from his wrist armour. As it did so, it slowly revealed a large array of trip lasers and Revan sighed as Bastila frowned.

"This could be difficult." She mused calmly as Canderous straightened up. "Why does it always have to be a challenge?" she stated with a sigh. Her bond-mate shrugged and carefully began navigating a course through the trip lasers, Canderous and Bastila doing the same.

A lone soldier sat in the guard's quarters; he chuckled to himself as he skipped out on his shift. He propped his feet up on the table as he picked up a datapad and looked it over. He smirked to himself as he looked over his shift timetable and began to alter it. Suddenly he paused and gazed around, thinking he had heard something. As his head turned to the wall, the muffled sound of a blaster shot came through the wall, closely followed by a pure white blaster bolt that tore through his skull, causing his head to hit the table with a thump. The door to the quarters opened and Falcan walked in closely followed by HK.

"Nice shot." Falcan stated to the droid, whose receptors glowed with what had to be pride.

"Egotistical Boast: Thank you. I do pride myself on performing feats meatbags would find impossible." The human assassin shook his head as he hefted the body into a locker and carefully opened the door to the hallways and looked around. Motioning to HK, he quickly moved through the corridors, silently and efficiently, carefully checking each corner before moving on. Pressing himself against a wall, he noticed two guards coming round the corner and motioned for HK to stealth himself.

"Stand down, they're mine." He whispered. He slipped into the shadows as the guards came round the corner, one Devaronian and a human.

They paused and seemed to be discussing something but Falcan did not pay much attention. Taking a tiny metal nail from the wall, he chucked it hard onto the floor, so it made a loud ping behind the human, causing him to turn round. The human guard slowly approached the nail and picked it up. As he turned, Falcan suddenly tackled him to ground and yanked his neck to the side, breaking it with a vile crunch. The Devaronian turned round startled but Falcan was on him. Grabbing the guards arm, he delivered a back elbow to the face and the punched him in the gut. As the guard doubled over, he seized the back of his head and slammed him into the wall with a sick thud and the guard dropped lifeless.

"Compliment: Most impressive assassin. I dare say, I could not have done better myself." HK stated as he deactivated his stealth field. Falcan inclined his head with a smirk, despite how he had grown tired of killing; he still enjoyed the thrill of it, something that troubled him slightly, ever so slightly. The two quickly moved the corridors once more following the signs to reach the control room.

"Why they would have signs in a place like this is beyond me." Falcan mused to HK.

"Sarcastic Statement: Perhaps they wish us to find the control room" The droid replied. The former assassin chuckled.

"Perhaps." HK quickly approached the door and sliced it, very efficiently as Falcan drew a knife from his belt. As the door slowly slid open, he threw the knife through into the back of a guard's head. As he dropped, the second barely had time to respond as HK sent a blaster bolt into his heart and he too dropped to the floor.

They entered the room, HK shutting the door behind them as Falcan began hacking to the computer. After a short moment, he found a roster of the Prisoners in the double max section. Groaning he noticed it was numerical order.

"Oh this is going to take awhile." He muttered as he began scrolling through the list of names as quickly as he could, while HK patiently stood guard.

Kazel watched as the guard Ishale had been contended with dropped in a heap on the floor. He looked around the final cellblock as some of the prisoners looked at them, all-pleading with Kazel to set them free. He growled in annoyance as they walked up the block checking each and every cell finding nothing. Mission wasn't in the single max cellblock and for some reason, he wasn't surprised.

He clicked his com link. "Revan, you copy?" he waited a second for his reply.

"_I hear you." _Kazel walked through a large door leading out of the prisons as he replied.

"I don't think your friend's here, we've just finished sweeping the prison blocks and have found nothing." He looked around as he heard something, Brianna and Ishale also looking back behind them. "So I'd definitely wager she's in the double or triple max." he heard Revan sigh and waited quietly.

"_All right, Kazel find Falcan and see if he needs a hand. I've got to talk to someone."_ Kazel nodded.

"Got it." he looked round about to call the others and then realised something was wrong. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end; he looked around seeing nothing, but nonetheless felt uneasy. He looked back at Brianna and Ishale who were still in the prison block.

Brianna looked round at him and nodded as if to say it was clear. But she too felt very on edge, unable to help herself, she looked back around the cells. Nothing seemed out of place, except an annoying beep with continued to echo over the prison.

Suddenly the sound of air whooshing underneath a falling object could be heard. Brianna turned in time to see the door to the cellblocks falling shut, Kazel on the other side running to it as it closed.

"Kazel!!" she yelled out also running towards the door, but was too late as it slammed shut just as she reached it. She banged on it, as it wouldn't budge and then clicked her com link. "Revan, we've been cut off from Kazel."

"_What!?"_ was the reply as Ishale continued to try and find a way to open the door.

"The door to the cell blocks just slammed shut. Kazel is on the other side and we cannot get to him." She answered.

"_Sith spit! Ok, wait there Brianna, I'll send Falcan to you."_ As the com link went silent, she and Ishale began to try and open the door once more.

Revan quickly changed the frequency on his com link as Bastila and Canderous kept a careful eye on the guard that was currently being held in a force cage and looked a little worried to say the least. Revan threw him a dark look and he gulped slightly as his comrades lay cold and useless on the floor around him.

"Falcan…" he began.

"_I heard and you're in luck, I just finished going through the prisoner list and Mission is not in this section. Want to wager she's in your section?"_ Revan nodded to himself as Bastila and Canderous listened carefully to his conversation.

"Ok then, Falcan take HK and meet with Brianna, we'll join you as soon as we can." His comlink blipped off and he turned his attention to you he guard who looked about ready to be sick. "Now then, Mission Vao, do you know that name?"

"No, never heard it." the man replied, big mistake. Revan glanced at Bastila, who used the force to switch the cage on. The man began to scream in pain as all three of them watched coldly, Canderous silently promising himself never to get on Revan or Bastila's bad side. Bastila calmly switched the cage off again as the man let out a soft groan of relief and Revan smirked.

"That must've hurt." He remarked coolly and the man began to talk.

"She's a new prisoner brought here two weeks ago!" he shouted desperately.

"Which cell?" the former dark lord answered, the man looked down in thought.

"Well, I'm not really sure, there's so many of-" Bastila quickly growing impatient switched the cage on again and the man began screaming once more as they all seemed not to care, though Revan and Bastila quietly regretted the fact they were torturing him. "She's in cell number 635, she's been there ever since we brought her here!!" he shouted.

"Have you touched her?" Bastila now asked in a cold, controlled tone. Revan kept quiet well aware of what Bastila had been through when she was captured by Malak. The man hearing her tone shook his head desperately.

"No! I swear it!" Bastila inclined her head for a second, her grey-blue eyes searching him, and then the force cage shut down.

"Leave now!" she stated coldly. The man didn't need telling twice and quickly vanished from the room. She walked past her two companions down into the prison blocks. Canderous and Revan slowly looked at each other. The expression on Revan's face clearly said to the mandalorian "Don't ask, I don't have a clue what just happened." Both men quickly hurried after her and caught up with her in the blocks.

She looked back at Revan who nodded and took lead once more as they began to round the bends reaching the cells from 600 to 700, prisoners either asleep or curiously watching them as they ran past. As they came round the corner, they heard a lot of commotion coming from one of the cells. Without a word Revan took off, Canderous and Bastila caught two off guard to keep up.

Just as the sounds got louder, he heard a loud crash from in front of him, and then saw a male zabrak stagger out of a door way and into the wall. He distinctly heard the sounds of fists meeting skin, but had a feeling the three guards were having the hell kicked out of them. He was right too as he saw the zabrak stand and reach for something on his belt.

The first guard in the cell threw a punch, only to have his arm caught and in violent motion his arm was broken and then he was swiftly knocked out by a vicious spin kick. The second grabbed his smaller adversary from behind in an attempt to subdue her, but in a display of pure adrenaline fuelled strength she used her feet to push off one wall and slam him back first into the other one. As he slumped he released her, and the twi'lik's foot shot up into his groin. As he groaned, she repeatedly punched him in the face until his nose was bleeding profusely and he slid to the floor unconscious. As she regained her breath, the zabrak guard drew a knife.

Before he could move, a different hand seized his wrist. As he turned, he was swiftly disarmed and his own knife was stabbed into his chest, not fatally. He yelled out in pain and Revan quickly pushed him back into the wall, his head banging off it. Revan quickly delivered a brutal side kick, crushing the man's skull between his foot and the stone wall and the body dropped lifeless to the ground as Revan turned his attention to the twi'lik in the cell, who emerged from the room, a look of pure shock on her blue face.

She was 18 years old and was lithe yet feminine in build. Dressed in the typical tight clothing of the twi'lik females, she was wearing a short, black tank top that bared her midriff and her arms and was wearing black leather trousers that clung to her curves. Her face and deep brown eyes still held some of that youthful eagerness he had known so well, but she had grown into a beautiful young twi'lik woman, yet he could still see some of the brash, sunny and feisty young girl he remembered. He straightened up and looked her up and down for a second.

"Well you certainly have grown." He remarked. She still couldn't believe her eyes as she blinked a few times and then gulped.

"Revan?" she asked breathlessly, still not quite sure. He nodded with a smile and she grinned. Without a moment's hesitation, she ran forward and leapt into his arms, engulfing him in a hug. "You nerf-herder! I've been looking everywhere for you!" he laughed as he put her down and they hugged.

"Yeah, well you had me worried yourself Mission." He replied, smirking. "Sorry I had you so worried." He added on. Mission simply punched him lightly on the shoulder.

"No worries, at least I found you finally, or you found me." She giggled slightly as Bastila and Canderous came round the corner. Mission turned to see Bastila and before she could think about it Bastila had hugged her.

"Mission, what were you thinking?" Bastila stated, in angry but sisterly tone. "Coming out here by yourself?" Mission huffed as they separated.

"Hey miss high and mighty, I can take care of myself, and I came out here looking for _him._" She replied pointing at Revan, who shrugged.

"Haven't we all?" Bastila answered with a smile, and placed her hands on Mission's shoulders looking at her approvingly, as the younger girl looked away sheepishly.

"Jeeze kid, I thought you were smarter than that," Canderous added on the end with a chuckle as Mission blushed slightly.

"Ok, let's reacquainted later." Revan came in at this point, realising they were wasting time. "As much as we may…question Mission's intelligence for doing what she did." The young twi'lik only blushed more. "She's here now and we can use her help in finding Kazel. So young Mission…" he reached up and drew the vibro-blade from his back along with the scabbard, which happened to Mission's blade, something he kept should he need a quick draw weapon. "Welcome back." He threw it to her, and in an unexpected display of speed and skill, she caught it, twirled it and strapped it to her back.

"Good to be back." She replied with a grin and with that the four quickly began making their way to rendezvous with Brianna and Ishale.

Ishale pounded on the door as Brianna searched for a button to open it. She growled in frustration as the door simply bonged as her fist hit it, and Brianna lowered her hand from the wall finding nothing.

"How could they have known we were here?" Ishale muttered. "They can't possibly be able to track our every move." She growled again as the Echani unclipped her lightsaber.

"We need to get through this door. Stand back." Ishale stepped back as Brianna activated one of her silver blades and thrust it towards the door.

To both women's shock, the blade extinguished and went silent as it came into contact with the metal of the door. Brianna blinked in surprise and went to ignite her second blade; an annoyed sound emitting from her throat.

"Don't bother Brianna." Falcan's voice sounded from behind her, she turned around quickly as HK and Falcan approached them. "That's cortosis, your lightsaber will simply short out for a few minutes if you try to cut through it." He stated, matter of factly.

"How do you know that?" Ishale asked.

"You saw what just happened when she tried, and besides you can't be a Jedi Hunter without knowing certain things." He replied. He turned to HK. "What do you think we should do HK?" the droid observed the door for a second, before replying.

"Assessment: I believe a small explosion from approximately three remote charges should be enough to 'unlock' this door. If not, I could cut through it with my wrist cutting laser, which would take approximately fifteen to twenty minutes, judging by the size and width of the obstacle." The Assassin droid thought for a second. "Suggestion: though it may alert the rest of the prison personnel to our presence, might I suggest the explosive option first?" Falcan nodded and pulled three small plastic explosives from his pouch.

"You carry explosives?" Brianna asked incredulously. He shrugged

"You never know when you might them, I like to be prepared." He replied as he began placing the explosives on the door.

Kazel looked back at his blocked path and shook his head. Clicking his com-link, he was greeted by static noise. Sighing, he put it away and began to move through the corridors of the new section. This section seemed more like a laboratory section; surgical equipment and what looked like bacta tanks were present in each of the rooms he walked past. Part of him wandered what dark experiments had been carried out in this place.

A door in front of him whooshed open and he walked through, coming into a large chamber. He unclipped his curved-lightsaber from his belt and held it in his hand, inactive as he advanced into the center of the room. The door shut quickly behind him and he looked around the darkened room for a second.

The hairs on the back of his head were on end again and a cold feeling had sunk into his stomach. Something wasn't right and his mind was devoid of suggestions as his eyes roamed over the room, finding no exit or point of escape. At that point the lights all came to life, bathing the room in brightness and he shielded his eyes momentarily.

That's when he felt it and his breath caught in his chest. A powerful presence, more powerful than anything he had ever felt before was in the room and almost suffocating him. The darkness of this presence was so strong, it was sucking the life out of him as he struggled to breath. His own darkness craved for him to drink in its sustenance but he buried that feeling down.

"At last we meet, Exile." A deep and rumbling voice, with power and authority came from behind him. Kazel slowed turned his head to look at the being behind him. The True Sith behind him held a serrated sword in his hand and his tail was waving calmly in the air. The being was also dressed in lavish dark red tunic with golden shoulder pads.

Kazel turned around fully, his violet eyes coming to meet into the glowing, blood red eyes of the Grand Sire.

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_Ok there you go. Good? Bad? Reviews please..._


	16. Chapter 16

_I'm really sorry for this very slow update. Coursework has been set so my writing time has been very limited._

_Anyhow, here's the next chapter hope you enjoy_

* * *

Chapter 16

Kazel stared into the eyes of the Grand Sire as he collected himself in his mind. To say he was afraid was an understatement but he controlled it as best he could. The Exile had only felt fear like this once before, Malachor V at the end of the Mandalorian Wars, the day he had severed his own connection to the Force. He took in a deep breath as he looked at the True Sith in front of him.

The power that emanated from this being was incredible. Wild and aggressive yet also so calm and patient that you'd think he was of the light side were it not for the blood red eyes. The room was literally ripe with energy, Kazel's aura combining with the Sire's as they gazed at each other for a long moment.

The Grand Sire observed the Exile for that moment, taking in everything about him. The pure red robes, the violet eyes, the white hair, the curved-lightsaber and most importantly the Force energy. He felt respect for this man, simply because of his strength of character, his power and his soul. Before him stood a man who had come into conflict with his demons many times and had been victorious each time, despite the great potential for darkness in his heart. The Sire smiled slightly amused by the human's tenacity and gave a half bow.

"I must say, I have heard much about you my friend." He stated as he straightened up. "And you have lived up to my expectations. Strength, grace and power envelop your every move." He looked at the man, who simply gazed neutrally at him. "I have studied you and have seen your power, you potential." Kazel scoffed

"If by that you mean you wish to turn me, don't waste your time. I've been there and the Dark Side is not what it is cracked up to be." The Exile replied. "I don't desire to be that…that _thing _again." His violet eyes narrowed as the Sith leered at him.

"Perhaps but it is not something you can run away from." He answered. He swung up his Sith Sword and settled in a stance, with his blade angled diagonally towards the Exile's heart. "Long have I desired to test my power against a Jedi. I had hoped to test my strength against Revan, but given the circumstances I think this could be just as interesting." A _snap-hiss _echoed throughout the room and Kazel settled into a classic Makashi stance, the blade angled down by his side.

The Grand Sire without a moment's hesitation charged forward. His downward blow was redirected by a parry from Kazel who immediately thrust for the Sire's side only to have his blade battered away. They exchanged blows for a brief period, Kazel thrusting at and parrying the blows of the Sith, who relied on brute strength and raw power as he rained heavy blows on the Exile.

Kazel spun away from a downward strike and then swung towards the Sith's face. His lightsaber blade was intercepted by the Sire's sword and they locked together. For a few seconds the blades ground against each other before both combatants leapt apart and landed at opposite ends of the room.

"Impressive…" the Sire said as he stood straight. "Most impressive." Without warning, he ripped a metal plate from the wall with the force and hurled it at the Exile. Rolling out of the way just in the nick of time, Kazel seized a large pillar with his energy and sent it spinning towards the Sith. It was caught and crushed by the Sith's dark energy who responded with shards of glass from a nearby window. Kazel summoned a part of the floor and ripped it up to shield him from the barrage of pain.

That large portion of the floor was promptly flattened by the force and Kazel howled in pain as a blast of force lightning sent him sailing into the wall. The Sire's hand lowered still sparking with force energy as he sneered at the smouldering form of the Exile.

"Shall we disperse with the warm-up?" he drawled as Kazel got to his feet, his lightsaber _hissing_ back to life as he glared at the Sith. "I would rather fight at my full power and see your strength for myself." He extended his hand and moved his fingers in a taunting gesture. "Come, Exile." Kazel growled and hurled himself at the Grand Sire.

**...**

Revan, Bastila, Mission and Canderous were all hurtling down the corridor towards the meeting point with Falcan, Brianna and Ishale. As they rounded a bend, the entire corridor shook and all four of them fell to their knees as a loud explosion crashed down the prison block. Revan was the first to his feet, as an alarm began wailing around them and brought up his com-link.

"Falcan, I'm going to assume this was your doing!" he shouted down the com-link as the alarms continued to screech around him, while the others got to their feet.

"_Just had to do some rapid reconstruction" _was the reply. Revan snorted in annoyance as the door in front of him began to close. _"You might want to hurry up, no doubt the rest of the base knows we're here now."_ With that the link went silent. The former Dark Lord growled in great annoyance.

"Sith spit, I am going to kill him." He snarled as he observed the door. "Stand back." He muttered to the others. Noting that the tone of his voice was tight and controlled, they all instantly complied.

Revan tensed, gathering force energy into his body. He began to glow slightly as his fists clenched, all of the energy gathering in his hands. He thrust his arms forward towards the door and the energy was released with a loud boom.

The durasteel immediately came out of its place in the wall and shot back. A number of soldiers trying to get into position looked up and all eyes widened as the huge slab of metal hurtled towards them. They all let out yells of shock as the door hit and promptly crushed them against the wall.

As the second group of soldiers turned around, Revan and Bastila came charging through the doorway, their lightsabers roaring. Revan quickly cut down the first of the group and with a flick of his wrist, sent a couple of blaster bolts back at the troops who fired them. Bastila spun her dual-golden blades in a impregnable barrier of energy, reflecting blaster bolts at three or more Sith, killing them before spinning round herself, bisected one more soldier and running the final one through. Mission and Canderous came through the doorway and surveyed the carnage the Jedi had caused in the few minutes between Revan destroying the door and charging through.

Revan jeered slightly, but upon sensing something amiss within the facility, he turned and quickly began running up the corridor, his Mantle of the Force saber still active, Bastila just behind him. Canderous and Mission struggled to keep up with them. Revan felt a bead of sweat slip down his face, not out of fatigue but out of anxiety. Bastila noticed his turmoil.

"Revan. What is it?" she called to him as they rounded a bend. He simply glanced back at her.

"I can feel something warping the force energy here, and within it I can sense Kazel's presence." Bastila's eyes widened slightly as they continued down the corridors, beating each of the doors that slammed down shut, with a few seconds to spare.

"You don't think it is him." She shouted back.

"Of course not." He replied. "I know who it is." His voice became grave and dark as he spoke his next words. "I know the feeling all too well." He pushed himself faster as each of the doors slammed down.

**...**

The final sith guard collapsed with a strangled cry as blood oozed from his throat as he failed to contain it. Falcan straightened up, looking around at the three guards he had just dispatched, each one with a wound in a vital part of his anatomy. Falcan rolled his neck to the side before turning round. He, Hk, Brianna and Ishale quickly began moving up the corridor.

As the rounded a bend, the sound of metal slicing through the air combined with the crackle of electricity greeted his ears. "MOVE!" he yelled, shoving Ishale out of the way. He barely rolled aside as a white electrostaff blade embedded in the wall above him.

As he got to his feet, he parried a chop at his neck, only to be sent reeling back by a kick to the gut. He moved to the left and the right to avoid both sides of the electrostaff before diving over a sweep at his legs, rolling into a crouch. Shalla turned round to look at him, her twin electrostaff blades cackling in the air.

"Your reflexes haven't atrophied at all. You're as quick as ever." She commented as he straightened up. Brianna quickly ignited her double-bladed lightsaber as Ishale drew her sword and HK raised his rifle.

"No." They all looked at Falcan as he looked at Shalla. "Shalla is a Shadow Walker. This is my fight." Ishale shook her head.

"Falcan, you can't fight her alone." She protested. Falcan locked her in a stare with his emerald eyes.

"You'd only get in the way Ishale." He answered. She looked at him in shock. "This fight is not yours. You can't be involved as she could kill you in a heartbeat." Falcan's eyes slowly moved to the right and into the shadows next to Shalla. "Or he could, depending." Caleb emerged from the darkness, his scythe held dangerously ready behind his back, the blade aimed at towards the ground. "This is personal." Falcan finished straightening up. Ishale made as if to protest but…

"Statement: Forget it meatbag." She turned to look at HK-47, who had lowered his rifle. "The assassin has made his choice. Though I may feel the need to help him blast these meatbags, I must comply with his orders as per the master's request. If I must comply then so must you." Ishale looked back at the battle. "Caution: Assassin, no doubt they are formidable as a pair. Might I suggest separating them first?" Falcan chuckled.

"Thanks for the tip. Now go!" he roared at them. Knowing better than to argue, the other three turned to leave, Ishale sparing a final glance at Falcan before following HK who took the lead. Falcan smiled slightly before turning to his friends. "This is unexpected." He mused.

"Indeed." Caleb replied. "Still we knew this would happen sooner or later." He spun his scythe around his body settling into a combat stance. "You are my friend Falcan, but my Lord has requested you death and I cannot turn my back on my duty." Shalla twirled her electrostaff and did the same as Caleb.

"Forgive us Falcan." She said softly. "But you know that duty comes before all else." Falcan closed his eyes and lowered his head for a split-second.

"Well if that's the case…" his hidden vibro-blades shot out of his gauntlets and his eyes snapped open becoming a psychopathic piercing green. "You had better give me your best." He shot forward at blinding speed as Caleb swung his scythe at him, Shalla spinning her staff in her hands.

**...**

Canderous gunned the sith warrior in his way out of the window as Revan sliced through another's side before stabbing his blade backwards through the man's spine. Mission rolled under her assailant, cutting his leg out from under him, before slitting his throat as he knelt in front of her. Bastila simply force pushed the final three into the bulkheads, all of them landing with a sickening crunch, their heads at odd angles as they hit the ground. Revan looked at Mission for a second, troubled by her new aggressive fighting style. Putting the thought aside, he watched as Bastila approached the door.

"It's locked." She stated matter-of-factly. On the other side she could here the sounds of a lightsaber growling through air and she counted two force signatures in the next room. "Kazel's in there." She said. Canderous raised his huge repeating blaster.

"Then what are we waiting for?" he growled.

"Wait." Mission demanded as she ran up to the console and looked it over quickly. Without so much as word, she began hitting buttons and keys like her life depended on it.

"That's our girl." Revan said as he, Bastila and Canderous waited for her to finish her work. However he felt that time was strangely running out.

**...**

Kazel blocked the sword of the Grand Sire and with a huge effort shoved the Sith back. He ducked a swipe at his head and then deflected a blow for his side, returning one in kind but with similar results. He retreated slightly as he redirected strikes from the Sire's sword while he gave ground.

The Sire's style had quickly overwhelmed his Makashi defences so he had switched to Soresu, deciding instead to defend himself until the others arrived. This had thankfully allowed him to conserve energy and keep himself in the fight. He quickly redirected another wild blow before flipping over the Sith, his blade impacted on the sword as the Sire angled his blade behind his back. He hopped back as the Sire turned, his red eyes gleaming, and a grin on his face.

Kazel could not believe how calm this being was. Despite the indescribable darkness swirling around him, the Sire had not once given into his anger. Even having failed to break-down Kazel's defences, he did not grow frustrated and left no clear opening for the Exile to strike back. Conversely, Kazel had been able to hold on throughout the entire duel, despite being much less powerful than the Grand Sire, not once having been touched by his opponent's blade. Form III principle of only attacking when an opponent was frustrated or weary was not serving its purpose, so it had been pretty much a stalemate at this point.

"I never expected you to hold out this long. Revan's faith in your ability is well placed." The Sith stated. "And it appears we'll have company very soon. Revan is almost here." Kazel felt relief seep into his mind as he settled into a two handed stance, his blade held beside his head, giving him a clear view of his opponent. "Still, I now think its time we ended this game." His eyes glowed slightly as he charged. Kazel blocked the blow, but was sent back a couple of metres by the force.

He quickly began deflecting the attacks of the Sire as he retreated slightly, giving ground but out of necessity. He felt his back hit the wall but quickly slid his blade to catch his opponents. Moving to the left, he avoided the sword and it embedded into the wall. He swung at the Sire's shoulder but only succeeded in causing a large burn to form in the scales there. The Sire growled slightly in pain and then roared in anger.

Kazel blocked two more blows and spun round to get on his opponents weak side. However his mistake was made clear in the next moment. His blade was intercepted and then it happened. The sword of steel slicing through flesh echoed throughout the room and the lightsaber clattered to the floor.

Kazel staggered back, holding the stump that had been his hand as he quickly wrapped his robe around to prevent blood loss. He never made a sound as he dropped to his knees, his breathing ragged. The sith sneered as he approached his opponent.

"This battle is mine." He taunted. "Now it's time for you to die. Your friends will be next." He chuckled slightly, but noticed that Kazel had tensed. He stopped as The Exile's head rose to look at him, rage burning in his eyes. Then he felt Kazel's power rise to incredible new heights as he braced himself. "No!" the Grand Sire growled as Kazel threw his remaining hand out towards him.

**...**

HK, Ishale and Brianna passed through the door Hk had just opened. As he rushed to the next console Brianna froze. She clutched her heart and fell to her knees, pain coursing through her body. She let out a scream of anguish as a fresh wave of agony wracked her body and Ishale quickly dropped to her side.

"What's wrong?" she asked worriedly, helping Brianna to her feet.

"Kazel…" was the reply. "Something's happened to him. I think he needs help." Ishale looked confused as Hk's head turned to them slightly.

"H-How do you know?" she stammered, her face filled with complete bafflement. Brianna could not reply too strong now was the fire burning in her body. However the droid provided an incredibly accurate answer.

"Answer: It is through the Force that she knows. The master once said that he experienced Mistress Bastila's pain through his connection with her. I believe he called it a 'Force Bond'. He stated that it often formed between to people who understood each other perfectly and makes them know what the other thinks, feel what they feel." Hk turned back to the console and quickly sliced it to open the door. Ishale quickly helped the near crippled Brianna, who focussed on the agonising pain screaming through her body and the Force.

**...**

Revan and the others were continuing to wait as Mission sliced through the door as best she could. Suddenly Revan and Bastila both cried out in shock and pain, Revan clutching his head and falling to his knees. Bastila put her hand to her head and braced herself against the wall, her eyes clamped shut as agony screeched out through the force. Canderous looked confused between them, as Mission paused in her work.

"What the..?" She looked at the two of them as Revan heaved himself onto his feet, his legs shaky.

"Get…that…door…open!" Revan snarled as he moved over to Bastila. He placed a hand on her shoulder and she gazed at him. Her face was pale and her eyes glazed over slightly but she seemed ok. She nodded to him and Revan clicked his com-link to Falcan.

**...**

Falcan growled slightly as he hopped to the side to avoid Caleb's scythe. With inner-crescent kick he sent Caleb staggering away, but was quickly forced to turn and block Shalla's electrostaff. Their intense fight had taken them outside the compound and they were now fighting along a platform, two deep pits on either side. Shoving the staff down, he was taken aback as Shalla leapt away. Quickly ducking, Caleb's scythe swiped the place where his head had been. Rolling onto his feet, he caught the scythe blades with his gauntlets. His com-link beeped on his arm as he struggled with Caleb's strength._ I'm a little busy _he thought in frustration as Revan's voice came over the com-link.

"Falcan, if you can hear me I need you to get here as soon as possible. Kazel is in trouble get here now! Falcan answer me!!"

With a scoff of annoyance, Falcan elbowed Caleb in the face, and then kicked him back with great force. But before he could press his advantage, the sound of electricity cackled behind him. With a roar of pain, he fell to his knees as Shalla struck the lower part of his back with her electrostaff. She spun the weapon in her hands, as he looked back at her and she raised it high above her head.

His eyes had returned to their usual deep green shade and he met her gaze with his own. Shalla faltered slightly, the eyes of her long-time friend staring expectantly into her face, waiting for her to fulfil her duty. But for whatever reason, she could not and she hesitated a moment longer, the eyes of her former commander locked with hers.

That moment's hesitation was all Falcan needed. With a growl, he spun from his kneeling position and knocked the weapon from her hands. She threw a punch but he caught it and twisted her arm behind her "You must never hesitate" he whispered in her ear. Drawing a heavy blaster pistol from his belt, he placed the barrel to her back as Caleb rushed forward.

"Stop!" Falcan ordered, the blaster dangerously close to her spinal cord. Caleb did so, his blue eyes filled with concern, as he could not move without fear of the repercussions. He kept his scythe held at his side as he looked at Falcan and Shalla in front of him, Falcan's blaster held behind her back as she looked at Caleb fearfully.

A long and tense moment passed as the wind howled around them. Caleb kept his eyes fixed on the two in front of him. Falcan's mouth was close to Shalla's ear as the moment continued on. Shalla seemed to frown for a moment as Falcan pulled his mouth back from her ear. Caleb let out a breath he hadn't realised he was holding as Falcan straightened up.

Suddenly Falcan shoved Shalla towards the edge of the platform. Without even thinking about it, Caleb ran to catch her before she fell. He grabbed her hand just as she fell from the platform and hauled her back onto it. She quickly curled up against him, her breath quick and sharp. Caleb turned to look back around at his former commander. Falcan had vanished.

**...**

Revan unclipped his lightsabers from his belt as the door finally opened. Mission hopped from the console drawing her sword from her back. Bastila and Canderous soon joined them as the door slid open.

"No!" with a loud boom, Revan watched the Grand Sire hurtle past them through the wall on his left with a loud crash. The former dark lord turned to see Kazel hunched over on his knees. Revan felt his eyes widen as he saw the stump that had once been Kazel's right hand. The Exile looked up at him but obviously was in too much pain to speak as they made their way over to him. The second they did so, Brianna, Ishale and HK appeared from a corridor on their right. Brianna immediately ran to her beloved's side and wrapped an arm around his shoulder.

"Kazel?" the Exile didn't reply, his breath coming in gulps as he clutched his mutilated wrist. The sounds of more footsteps echoed around them and they looked up to see more Sith soldiers enter the room. Revan's lightsabers snarled into life as he looked around at them. The Sire soon emerged from the hole in the wall and stood at the head of his men.

"Revan. We meet again." He said as the two gazed at each other. Revan's cyan eyes narrowed.

"Grand Sire." He replied stiffly. "I assume you're responsible for Kazel's condition?" he stated with a growl. The Sire nodded with a sneer.

"You would be correct. He did put up quite a fight." The Sith said looking at Kazel with respect usually unseen in a Sith. "Now it seems you and I may finally be able to cross blades in battle." The sith spun his sword around his body before settling in the same stance he had before. To his and everyone else's surprise, Revan began laughing. "What's funny?" he growled in annoyance. Revan looked up at him.

"I'm expecting company." Revan began laughing again as the Sire frowned before the wall to his right exploded sending rubble and rocks everywhere.

The Grand Sire who had covered his eyes looked up at the massive opening that had been ripped open. The Ebon Hawk was hovering just behind it, the boarding ramp lowered and Falcan was standing on it with a huge heavy repeating blaster rifle in his hands.

"Catch you schuttas at a bad time?" he inquired sarcastically. All the Sith soldiers lifted their rifles, but Falcan beat them to it. He pulled the trigger of his huge rifle and unleashed a wave of white energy at the Sith. Soldiers began falling left and right, some falling on top of their comrades as they scurried for cover.

The Grand Sire turned fully towards Falcan leaving himself open, Revan's eyes narrowed. In that split second, Revan thrust his hand forward and with an extremely loud boom of energy, the ruler of the Sith found himself soaring through the air once again, before smashing through a window, glass spraying across the floor.

"Never turn your back on me" Revan muttered. "All right! Let's go, everyone on board NOW!!" he shouted to the others. Ishale and Brianna instantly took hold of Kazel's arms and began to help towards the Hawk. "Hk, Canderous, Mission suppress the Sith, Bastila, cover the Exile until he's on board." Bastila immediately leapt over to Kazel and shielded his body with her own, her golden blades _hissing_ to life as she spun them in the air, reflecting blaster bolts up and away from the wounded man, while Ishale and Brianna carried towards the ship.

Revan threw himself forward, cutting down a sith in his path. Standing up, his cyan eyes flicked back to see another raising his rifle, while a sith in front of him charged with a vibrosword. As the man reached him, Revan quickly spun and ducked as the soldier behind him pulled the trigger. The sword wielder fell as the blaster bolt meant for Revan, tore through his skull. The former dark lord seized the other man with the force and hurled him into a large group of his comrades. He then gripped a large fuel container and sent rolling towards the soldiers. They tried to run but to no avail.

Revan turned and raised the heart of the guardian to block a sword blow from another soldier, then raised his second lightsaber, slicing through his opponents kidney, killing him. He turned to face two other soldiers who charged him, his cyan eyes gleaming menacingly.

Brianna and Ishale were able to get Kazel to the ramp. Falcan threw the rifle away, it's energy cells spent and took hold of Kazel's arm to pull him up on board. Mission hopped onto the board ramp, firing shots back at the Sith. She took hold of Kazel's shoulder.

"Get him to the med bay" Falcan ordered. As Mission turned, a soldier fired at the three. Brianna howled in pain, as the blaster bolt ripped through her side. The former assassin caught her before she fell and picked her up to carry her inside. "Ishale get inside and tell T3 to get ready to go!" the young woman nodded and ran inside. "Bastila, Canderous, HK get on board, we're leaving!" Canderous rolled away from a sword wielder, moved to the side of him and seized the man's head. With a vile crunch, he broke the man's neck and slammed his face into the floor. Reloading his blaster rifle, he sent another wave of energy towards the final group of sith, before leaping on board and heading for the turrets. Hk blasted two warriors in his way, as Bastila jumped onto the ship; Hk did the same but only after slaying another soldier.

Falcan turned his gaze to Revan who cut down three soldiers, with a double spinning slash from his lightsabers. "Revan, let's go, let's go!" he roared over to him. The former dark lord looked up and nodded and pelted towards the ship. However just as he reached it, a large shard of glass sliced into his shoulder. Revan growled as he fell to one knee, the shard protruding from his flesh. He looked back to see the Grand Sire leading a couple True Sith warriors charging towards him. Revan saw a large column on his right and sent sailing towards the Grand Sire. The column was reduced to rubble by the Sire's sword but it was enough.

Revan used the time he gained to throw himself on board and he and Falcan quickly turned inside as the Ebon Hawk turned, its ramp closing and rocketed away from the prison. The Sire sighed in frustration, his anger controlled, he moved his head to his bodyguards who turned and headed away as the anti-air turrets began opening fire on the Ebon Hawk.

"Well played Revan, well played" he mused before turning and stalking towards the door leading back into the prison.

Revan ran into the cockpit to find Mission piloting the ship as small explosions began to rock the Hawk. "Move over" he ordered, Mission quickly hopped into the co-pilot seat as he turned the ship round and moved it away from the prison. Mission looked at the glass in his shoulder as he began pressing buttons.

"You should get that checked Rev," she pointed out, Revan scoffed lightly, appreciating her concern.

"After we get out of here." he grinned slightly. "At least this time I've a decent co-pilot, ok hit it!" Mission punched the ignition button and the engines of the Ebon Hawk roared as it flew away from the facility.

Falcan lowered the now unconscious Brianna onto a bunk and tended to her wound, taking off her outer robe into order to properly see it. While he suspected Kazel would try to kill him later on for doing so, he did the logically thing. It wasn't too serious and it had not gone through any vital organs, so he quickly began tending to it. Bastila hurried into the dormitory as the ship rocked again.

"We need your help with Kazel!" she stated in a desperate manner. That was unlike Bastila, she rarely ever panicked. He nodded as he turned back to the echani.

"I'll be there once I've stabilised Brianna, do what you can!" she nodded and vanished from view. As Falcan took some kolto from his utility belt and began wetting a bandage with it, the ship shuddered violently. He braced himself on the side of bunk. Just as he began to apply the bandage, another more powerful explosion rocked the ship and he fell back onto the floor. "Bloody hell Revan, you can drive!" he quickly began wrapping the bandage around Brianna's midsection as the ship lurched more violently.

Revan tried to keep the ship steady as the blaster bolts continued blow up around the Ebon Hawk, while Mission tried to keep the engines steady. "We'll be able to jump as soon as we get out of the atmosphere." He stated as she tapped numerous buttons.

Suddenly a loud explosion caused the ship to rattle with increased violence and a loud alarm began wailing around them. Revan quickly regained control of the ship as Mission checked the ship's condition.

"We've been hit, the power's draining and the hyperdrive is damaged!" she shouted above the alarm.

"Sith-spit!" Revan snarled as the ship exited the atmosphere. "Hold on, I'm making a blind jump!" the blue slipstream opened in front of them and the ship shot into the galaxy.

Revan and Mission both lurched forward as the ship exited hyperspace and then a loud groan escaped from the ship as all the lights went out. Within a few seconds the lights came back on, though they were very dim and Mission checked the readings as Revan stood up looking out of the ships cockpit. The Ebon Hawk floated silently through the vast regions of this new unknown sector of space.

"Primary power's out and the engines are damaged, we're drifting on nothing but fumes at the moment." She informed him. Revan sighed in frustration.

"How far away are we from that planet?" Mission checked the navigation computer.

"About 500 light years." She replied. Revan nodded with acceptance.

"Good, they shouldn't be able to find us. With primary power out, there are no energy sources for them to detect. We should have enough time to repair the ship." He looked at the young twi'lik and nodded. "Get some rest Mission, and then we'll get to work on the ship." She nodded and began powering down the primary console as Revan hurried back towards the med-bay.

When he got there, he found Kazel thrashing on the cot as Canderous and Falcan struggled to hold him still. Bastila and Ishale were at a respectful distant, not sure what they could do to help.

"What happened?" Revan asked. Falcan looked up at him, but almost got punched by a flailing fist from the Exile.

"He just went into shock, I don't know why he didn't go into shock sooner, but somehow he was able to keep it together long enough for you to get to him." Canderous growled in annoyance as he pinned the Exile's shoulders to the cot. "If he doesn't stop thrashing around, we won't be able to help him."

"Oh I might just put him out of his misery if he keeps this up!" Canderous retorted as he struggled with the Exile's strength. "Hold still you mynock!" Revan walked over to the Exile and took hold of the man's shoulders in place of the Mandalorian.

"Kazel look at me!" Kazel silently thrashed against him. "LOOK AT ME!" he complied and the Exile's violet eyes snapped open and met Revan's own. A long tense moment passed, the two simply gazing at each other, with the others watching all holding their breath.

A strange wind blew through the med-bay as Revan continued to gaze down at the Exile whose eyes were wide with pain and fear of death. Revan's eyes twitched slightly as the wind began to die down. And then slowly the Exile's fluttered closed and his breathing became slower, his muscle's relaxed and he lay still.  
Revan straightened up quietly as Falcan moved over to examine the Exile. Revan looked down at the former assassin who had a grim look on his face. "He's gonna need a lot of work." Falcan mused sadly as the others looked at. "What are his chances Revan?" the former Jedi looked at his friend with an equally grim look.

"I'll give him 50-50." Revan turned to leave as Falcan began to set up the medical equipment around Kazel's mutilated arm. But Revan's final words made him freeze along with everyone else who now looked anxious and fearful.

"If he survives the night…"

* * *

_Again apologies for the slow update._

_Anyway good or bad? reviews please!_


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